JPH0994626A - Wire bending device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the dimensional precision of engaging part after forming and to improve the working efficiency as compared with a conventional forming of the engaging part with hand working. SOLUTION: A 1st bending device 5 has three pairs of forming members 15, 15', 16, 16', 17, 17'. On the forming members 15, 15', 16, 16', 17, 17', engaging projections 15c, 17a', 16c and engaging recessed parts 15a', 17b, 16a' are formed by opposing them respectively. By gripping a wire 3 with each engaging projection 15c, 17a', 16c and engaging recessed part 15a', 17b, 16a', a half circular like engaging part 3a is formed on every prescribed interval of the wire 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wire bending apparatus, and more particularly, to a wire bending apparatus that constitutes a stent to be inserted into a blood vessel.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a technique of inserting a cylindrical stent into a blood vessel of a human body to expand a blood vessel having a narrow flow path. The above-mentioned stent is composed of a wire and a thread made of stainless steel which are bent in a saw-tooth shape as a whole, and the thread is sequentially inserted into a small annular locking portion provided at each V-shaped folded portion of the wire, The whole wire is shaped like a cylinder. Further, conventionally, a stainless wire rod is bent as follows to form a sawtooth shape as a whole. That is, first, a thin wire made of stainless steel is prepared, and semicircular locking portions are formed at predetermined intervals (see FIG. 9). Next, each locking portion is formed from a semicircular shape into a C shape close to a substantially circular shape, and is bent so that a linear portion sandwiching each locking portion becomes a V shape (see FIG. 10). After that, the boundary portions of the respective locking portions with the straight portions are soldered to form the respective locking portions into a complete annular shape (see FIG. 11). As a result, the wire rod is bent in a saw-tooth shape as a whole, and each V-shaped bent portion is formed with an annular locking portion.

[0003]

By the way, conventionally,
The above-described bending work of the wire rod is all performed manually. Therefore, conventionally, there is a drawback that it takes time to bend the wire and the dimensional accuracy of each portion after bending and forming is poor.

[0004]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In view of such circumstances,
A first aspect of the present invention is a pair of first molding members provided with semi-circular engagement portions that engage with each other at opposing locations, and that are provided so as to be relatively movable in the X direction, which is a direction in which they approach and separate from each other. And a pair of second molding members that are arranged in parallel with the first molding member and that form semi-circular engagement portions that engage with each other at opposing positions and that are provided so as to be relatively movable in the X direction. A second molding member is provided so as to be movable relative to the first molding member in the Y direction orthogonal to the X direction, and the first molding member and the second molding member are separated from each other in the Y direction. A device for bending a wire rod is provided, in which the wire rod is sandwiched by the engaging portions of the above-mentioned forming members to form semi-circular locking portions at predetermined intervals by providing a space adjusting means for adjusting the space. To do. Further, a second invention is a pair of first moldings, which are provided with semi-circular engaging portions that engage with each other at opposing positions, and are relatively movable in the X direction, which is a direction in which they approach and separate from each other. Member and a pair of second moldings arranged in parallel with the first molding member, each of which has a semi-circular engagement portion that engages with each other at opposed positions, and is provided so as to be relatively movable in the X direction. And a member, the wire rod is sandwiched by the respective engaging portions of the above-mentioned forming members, and a semi-circular locking portion is formed at predetermined intervals of the wire rod. Further, a third invention is a clamp in which semicircular engagement recesses are provided at opposing positions, and a flat engagement surface on which the tip end side gradually recedes is formed on the tip end side adjacent to the engagement recesses. The member and the tip portion are formed in a substantially circular shape, and a rear side portion continuous from the circular shaped tip portion is formed such that the width on the rear side is gradually increased to form a circular tip portion. A pin having a V-shaped supporting surface on both sides on the rear side adjacent to each other, and a semicircular locking portion provided on the wire is supported from the inner side by the tip of the pin to engage both of the clamp members. At the same time as being clamped by the recess, the front and rear straight portions of the locking portion are clamped by the engaging surface of the clamp member and the support surface of the pin to form the locking portion into a substantially circular shape, and the locking portion and its A wire bending device for forming the front and rear straight parts as a whole into a V shape It is intended to provide.

[0005]

According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, it is possible to mechanically process the molding work of the engaging portion, which was conventionally done manually. According to the third invention,
It is possible to mechanically process the work of forming the locking portion into a substantially circular shape and the molding work of forming the locking portion and the front and rear straight portions thereof into a V shape. Therefore, the dimensional accuracy of each part of the wire after the forming can be improved, and the time required for the wire forming operation can be shortened.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiment. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 1 denotes a cylindrical stent which is the same as a conventionally known stent. In the natural state, the stent 1 expands in diameter by its own elasticity, but as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 8, the diameter is reduced when it is inserted into the blood vessel 2 of the human body. , The blood vessel 2 after being inserted into the blood vessel 2
When placed in a required position, the flow path in that portion is expanded. Then, blood flows through the internal space of the stent 1 placed in the blood vessel 2 as described above. As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the stent 1 is made of a stainless steel thin wire 3 bent and formed into a saw-tooth shape, and is sequentially inserted into each of the locking portions 3 a of the wire 3 to make the entire wire 3 into a cylindrical shape. And a thread 4 to be formed. The process of bending the wire 3 and forming it into a sawtooth shape as a whole is already known, but it is a premise of this embodiment, and will be briefly described here. That is, first, as shown in FIG. 9, a thin wire rod 3 made of stainless steel is prepared, and semicircular locking portions 3a are formed at predetermined intervals of the wire rod 3. In addition,
The adjacent locking portions 3a are formed so that the bulging directions are sequentially opposite directions. Next, after this, as shown in FIG. 10, the wire 3 is bent so that the respective locking portions 3a and the straight line portions 3b and 3c in front of and behind the locking portions 3a become V-shaped as a whole, and the respective locking portions 3a are semicircular. From the shape, it is shaped into a C shape that is almost circular. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 12, the entire stainless steel wire 3 is bent in a sawtooth shape on the same plane. As shown in FIG. 10, the dimension 3b of each linear portion of the wire rod 3 after the whole is formed into a sawtooth shape,
3c has the same size in the entire area of the wire rod 3,
As shown in FIG. 13, the central portion of the wire 3 as a whole is set to have the same dimensions 3b and 3c of the linear portions as in FIG. In some cases, the dimensions 3b and 3c of each straight line portion are gradually shortened. Next, as shown in FIG. 11, the boundary portions between the C-shaped locking portions 3a and the straight line portions 3b and 3c before and after the locking portions 3a face each other and are in the closest state. , Solder them so that they are integrated with each other. As a result, each of the locking portions 3a having a C-shape is formed into a complete ring. In this manner, the operation of bending the wire 3 and the operation of forming the locking portions 3a in a ring shape are completed. After that, the thread 4 is sequentially passed from the locking portion 3a on one end side to the locking portion 3a located on the other end side of the entire wire 3 (FIG. 11), and the linear portions 3b, 3c of the wire 3 are drawn.
The cylindrical stent 1 is completed as a whole by sequentially bending each of them in an arc shape. The wire 1 formed as shown in FIG. 12 and formed into a cylindrical shape with a thread 4 is the stent 1 shown in FIG. 7, and is generally called a straight stent. On the other hand, the wire rod 3 formed as shown in FIG. 13 and formed into a cylindrical shape by the thread 4 is the stent 1 shown in FIG. 14, which is generally called a spiral stent. The above-mentioned contents have already been publicly known, and conventionally, all of the above-mentioned works are manually processed. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the bending step of the wire 3 shown in FIG. 9 is performed by the first step shown in FIGS.
In addition to being mechanically processed by the bending device 5, the bending step of the wire rod 3 shown in FIG. 10 is mechanically processed by the second bending device 6 shown in FIGS. 3 to 4. (Structure of First Bending Device 5) That is, in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first bending device 5 is provided with a horizontally-supported rectangular base 11, on which the base 11 is arranged in parallel with the Y direction. The guide member 12 is projected and fixed. A rectangular first movable member 13 and a second movable member 14 are placed on the upper surface of the base 11, and the engaging grooves 13a and 14a formed on the bottom surfaces of the movable members 13 and 14 are used to guide the guides. It is engaged with the member 12. Thereby, the movable members 13 and 14 can be moved on the base 11 along the Y direction. The upper surface of the first movable member 13 is provided with a pair of left and right first molding members 15, 15 ′, and similarly, the upper surface of the second movable member 14 is provided with a pair of left and right second molding members 16, 16 ′. Is provided. Both movable members 1
A pair of left and right third molding members 17, 17 ′ is further provided on the upper surface of the base 11 which is located between the positions 3, 3. The movable members 13 and 14 are provided with elongated holes 13 parallel to the Y direction.
b and 14b are formed, and the screws 18 and 18 are passed through the elongated holes 13b and 14b and then screwed into the screw holes of the base 11. A plate-like member 21 is connected to the left side of the base 11, and the plate-like member 21 has notches 21 a and 21 b at positions facing the movable members 13 and 14, respectively. Has formed. The notches 21a, 21b are threaded with screws 22, 22, and their tips are screwed into screw holes in the end faces of the movable members 13, 14. By tightening the screws 18 and 22, the movable members 13 and 14 can be mounted on the base 11 in the Y direction.
Each screw 18, 2 can be fixed in the required position in the direction
By loosening 2 the movable member 1 on the base 11
3, 14 can be moved in the Y direction. The first forming member 15 is fixed to the first movable member 13, and the first forming member 15 has an h-shaped notch 15 a.
The first forming member 15 'having the same shape as the first forming member 15' is fitted in the notch 15a and placed on the first movable member 13, and the first forming member 15 'is placed in the notch 15a. The relative movement can be performed only in the X direction orthogonal to the Y direction. On the other hand, the second forming member 16 is fixed to the second movable member 14, and the second forming member 16 has a U-shaped notch 16a which is symmetrical with the notch 15a of the first forming member 15. ing. Then, the second molding member 16 ′ having the same shape as that of the notch 16 a is fitted and placed on the second movable member 14, and the second molding member 1
6'is relatively movable only in the X direction within the notch 16a. Grooves 15b and 16b parallel to the Y direction are formed on the same straight line on the upper surfaces of the first molding member 15 and the second molding member 16 located on the left side. Formed in these grooves 15b and 16b are protrusions protruding rightward, and semicircular engagement protrusions 15c and 16c are formed in the center of the tip of the formed part. On the other hand, the first
A molding portion that protrudes leftward is formed at an end portion on the upper side and the left side of the molding member 15 ′, and the molding portion is placed on the bottom portion of the groove 15b. A semicircular engagement recess 15a 'that engages with the engagement projection 15c is formed at the center of the tip of the molding portion. Also, like this,
The end on the upper side and the left side of the second molding member 16 'is a molding portion that projects leftward, and the molding portion is placed on the bottom of the groove 16b. A semicircular engagement recess 16a 'that engages with the engagement protrusion 16c is formed at the center of the tip of the. Then, the wire 3 is sandwiched between the engaging projections 15c and the engaging recesses 15a 'and the engaging projections 16c and the engaging recesses 16a' at the opposing positions to form the above-described semicircular locking portion 3a. I have. The first molding member 15 'and the second molding member 16' have cutouts 15a,
Through holes 15d and 16d in the X direction are formed to penetrate up to 16a. The rod 23 is inserted into these through holes 15d and 16d.
24 is slidably penetrated. One end of the rod 23 is rotatably connected to the first forming member 15 ′, and the outer periphery of the other end of the rod 23 is a thread. The other end of the rod 23 serving as the screw portion is screwed to one end of a pipe 26 linked to the handle 25. By rotating this rod 23 forward and backward by a required amount, the notch 15a
The stop position of the first molding member 15 'in the X direction can be adjusted. Further, one end of the rod 24 is rotatably connected to the second molding member 16 ', and the outer peripheral portion of the other end of the rod 24 is a threaded portion. Then, this threaded portion is screwed onto one end of the pipe 28 which is interlocked with the handle 27. Accordingly, by rotating the rod 24 in the forward and reverse directions by the required amount, the stop position of the second forming member 16 ′ in the notch 16a in the X direction can be adjusted.
In addition, the lock nut 2 is attached to the threaded portions of the rods 23 and 24.
9 and 29 are screwed together, and their lock nuts 29 and 2
The rods 23 and 24 are fixed to the pipes 26 and 28 by rotating the pipe 9 and bringing it into contact with the ends of the pipes 26 and 28. The pipe 26 is slidably penetrated through a through hole of a guide portion 13c provided in the first movable member 13, and a bifurcated connecting portion 25a of the handle 25 is attached to an end of the pipe 26 projecting outward. They are swingably connected. The connecting portion 25a of the handle 25 is bent approximately 90 degrees with respect to the upper body portion, and a pair of links 31 is attached to both sides of the bent portion and the guide portion 13c. Similarly, the pipe 28 is slidably passed through the through hole of the guide portion 14c provided on the second movable member 14, and the connecting portion 27a of the handle 27 is attached to the end of the pipe 28 protruding outward. Is swingably connected. The connecting portion 27a of the handle 27 is
The main body portion on the upper side is bent at approximately 90 degrees, and a pair of links 32 are attached to both side portions which are the bending portions and the guide portion 14c. Then, as shown by an imaginary line in FIG. 2, in the state where the handle 25 (27) is laid down sideways, the first interlocking movement with the handle 25 (27) occurs.
The molding member 15 ′ (second molding member 16 ′) has a cutout 15a.
It is located at the rightmost retracted position in (16a). On the other hand, when the handle 25 (27) is set up to the limit position from the state shown by the imaginary line to the position shown by the solid line, the first molding member 15 '(second molding member 16') is inside the notch 15a (16a). It is advanced to the leftmost forward position that can be placed in. In that case, the engaging recesses 15 facing each other
The a '(16a') and the engagement protrusion 15c (16c) are engaged with each other. At this time, the engaging recess 15a '
By supplying the wire 3 between (16a ') and the engaging projection 15c (16c), the engaging recess 15a' (16c)
The wire 3 is sandwiched between a ′) and the engaging projections 15c (16c), and the portion is formed as a semicircular locking portion 3a. Next, the third molding members 17, 17 'provided between the pair of first molding members 15, 15' and second molding members 16, 16 'will be described. The third molding member 17 on the left side is fixed to the upper surface of the base 11, and a notch 17 in the Y direction, which is open on the right side, is formed on the upper surface.
a is provided. A molding portion extending toward the right side is formed in the notch 17a, and a semicircular engagement recess 17b is formed at the center of the tip of the molding portion. On the other hand, the third molding member 17 ′ on the right side is movably mounted on the upper surface of the base 11, and protrudes toward the engagement recess 17 b on the upper surface on the left end thereof. Forming part is formed.
A semi-circular engagement projection 17a ′ that engages with the engagement recess 17b is formed at the tip of the molding portion, and the molding portion provided with the engagement projection 17a ′ is the second molding member 17 It is placed on the bottom of the notch 17a. Further, the rod 3 is rotatably attached to the right end of the third molding member 17 '.
3 are connected. An outer peripheral portion on the right side of the rod 33 is a screw portion, and the screw portion is screwed to one end of the pipe 34. The pipe 34 is slidably passed through a through hole of the guide portion 11a provided on the upper surface of the base 11.
The third molding member 17 ′ is interlocked with the rod 33 and the pipe 34 and is in a direction in which the third molding member 17 ′ is brought into contact with and separated from the third molding member 17 (X direction).
It can only be moved. An end of the pipe 34 protruding outward from the through hole of the guide portion 11a is swingably connected to a connection portion 35a of a handle 35 formed similarly to the handles 25 and 27 described above. Further, a pair of links 36 is attached between the handle 35 and the guide portion 13c. Therefore, when the handle 35 is laid down sideways, the third molding member 17 ′ is separated from the third molding member 17 on the left side, and the engagement concave portion 17 b and the engagement projection 17 are separated.
A gap is formed with a '. On the other hand, when the handle 35 is stood up to the limit position, the third molding member 17 'is moved to the left side, and the engagement recess 17b and the engagement protrusion 17a' are moved.
And are to be engaged. At this time, the engaging recess 1
If the wire 3 is interposed between the 7b and the engaging projection 17a ', the wire 3 is sandwiched between the engaging recess 17b and the engaging projection 17a' to form the semicircular locking portion 3a. It is like this. In addition, by rotating the rod 33 by a required amount, it is possible to adjust the stop position of the third forming member 17 ′ that can be placed in the X direction. A lock nut 37 is also screwed into the threaded portion of the rod 33. The lock nut 37 is rotated to abut the end of the pipe 34 so that the rod 33 is fixed to the pipe 34. There is. The heights of the engaging recesses 17b and the engaging protrusions 17a 'in the third molding members 17, 17' are the same as those of the first
Forming member 15 (15 ') and second forming member 16 (1
6 ') side engagement protrusion 15c (16c) and engagement recess 1
It is set to the same height as 5a '(16a'). Also,
The engaging protrusion 15c of the first molding member 15 and the second molding member 16
Engaging projections 16c and engaging recesses 1 of the third molding member 17
7b is positioned on a straight line parallel to the Y direction. The dimensions of the engaging protrusions 15c, 16c, 17a 'are the same, and the engaging recesses 15a', 16a ',
The dimensions of 17b are the same. Further, in the present embodiment, the plate-shaped shim 38 is interposed between one side of the third molding member 17 and the first molding member 15, and the other side of the third molding member 17 and the second molding member 16 are provided. Plate-shaped shim 39 between
Is intervening. By exchanging these shims 38 and 39 with those having different thicknesses, it is possible to adjust the distance in the Y direction, which is the distance between the engaging recess 17b and the engaging protrusion 15c, and to engage with the engaging recess 17b. It is possible to adjust the distance in the Y direction at which the mating protrusions 16c are separated. That is, it is possible to adjust the interval between the adjacent locking portions 3a formed on the wire 3. (Explanation of Operation of First Bending Device 5) An operation of bending the wire rod 3 for the spiral stent shown in FIG. 13 by the first bending device 5 configured as described above will be described. In this case, before starting the work, shims 38 and 39 having a predetermined thickness are prepared in accordance with the distance between the locking portions 3a on one end side in the longitudinal direction of the adjacent wire rods 3, and as shown in FIG. The first movable member 13 is fixed to the base 11 with the screws 18 and 22 by interposing the shim 38 between the molding members 15 and 17, and the shim 39 is interposed between the molding members 17 and 16, The movable member 14 is fixed to the base 11 with screws 18 and 22. Since the wire 3 is supplied from the lower side of FIG. 1, the thickness of the shim 39 is larger than the thickness of the shim 38 by a predetermined dimension in this case. Further, in the state before starting the work, since the handles 25, 35, 27 are laid sideways, the engaging recesses 15a ′ (1
6a ', 17b) and the engagement protrusion 15c (16c, 17).
a ') are separated. In this state, the linear wire 3 is inserted from the lower side of FIG. 1 into the engaging recesses 15a '(16a',
17b) and the engaging projections 15c (16c, 17a '), and supply them into the grooves 15b, 16b and the notches 17a, and in the drawing, upwardly by a predetermined dimension from the engaging recess 15a'. The tip of the wire 3 is positioned at a position deviated from. Thereafter, when the handle 25 is first fully raised to the position shown by the solid line, the engaging recess 15a 'is advanced to the left, and the wire 3 is sandwiched between the engaging recess 15a' and the engaging projection 15c. A semicircular locking portion 3a that bulges toward the right side is formed at the portion. Next, after this, in a state in which the semi-circular first locking portion 3a is sandwiched by the engagement concave portion 15a 'and the engagement projection 15c, the handle 35 at the central position is raised and the engagement projection 17a' is raised. Forward,
The wire rod 3 between them is lightly held by the engaging projection 17a 'and the flat surface portion of the engaging recess 17b adjacent to the engaging projection 17a'. As a result, the distance between the already formed first locking portion 3a and the second locking portion to be molded will be accurately determined. Thereafter, the handle 25 on the upper side is returned horizontally to separate the engaging recess 15a 'and the engaging projection 15c from each other, and the already formed first locking portion 3a is engaged with the engaging recess 15a'.
From above. In this state, since the handle 35 at the central position is completely raised to the limit position, the wire rod 3 is sandwiched between the engaging projection 17a 'and the engaging recess 17b and bulges toward the left side at that portion. The second locking portion 3a is molded. Then, the lower handle 27 is raised to advance the engaging recess 16a 'to the left, and the engaging recess 1
The wire 3 is lightly sandwiched between the flat surface adjacent to 6a 'and the engaging projection 16c, whereby the already formed second locking portion 3a and the third locking portion 3a to be molded from now on. Determine the spacing. Thereafter, the handle 35 at the central position is tilted horizontally to release the engagement state between the engagement protrusion 17a 'and the engagement recess 17b, and the second locking portion 3a between them is disengaged upward. Immediately after this, the lower handle 27 is completely raised to the limit position, and the engaging recess 16
The wire 3 is sandwiched between a ′ and the engaging protrusion 16c, and a semicircular third locking portion 3a that bulges toward the right side is formed. As a result, three locking portions 3a are formed sequentially from the leading end of the wire 3 to the rear. After the wire 3 is supplied to the first bending device 5, the three handles 2
5, 35 and 27 are raised all at once and the locking portions 3a are to be locked in three places, the front and back of each locking portion 3a is strongly pulled and the wire is broken. Therefore, in this embodiment, when molding is performed, In order to prevent the wire 3 from being cut, the locking portion 3
a is molded. Then, the handle 27 is tilted sideways to release the engagement between the engagement recess 16a 'and the engagement protrusion 16c, and the molded third locking portion 3a is disengaged upward from the engagement recess 16a'. After that, the third locking portion 3a
The wire rod 3 is fed in until the upper part of the engaging projection 15c is reached, and the third locking portion 3a is engaged with the engaging projection 15c. Next, loosen each screw 18, 22 and move each movable member 13,
14 is moved in the Y direction to remove the shims 38, 39 that have been interposed so far, and new shims 38, 39 having a thickness larger by a predetermined dimension than those are provided to the first molding member 15 and the third molding member 17. And between the third molding member 17 and the second molding member 16. And after this, each screw 18,
Tighten 22 to attach the movable members 13 and 14 to the base 112.
Fix on top. After that, in the state where the third locking portion 3a is engaged with the engagement protrusion 15c, the handle 3 at the center is
5, the wire rod 3 is lightly sandwiched between the engagement recess 17b and the engagement projection 17a ', and the position to be the fourth locking portion 4a is determined. After that, when the handle 35 is completely raised to the limit position after the third locking portion 3a is removed from the engagement protrusion 15c, the wire 3 is sandwiched between the engagement recess 17b and the engagement protrusion 17a '. Thus, the semicircular fourth locking portion 3a that bulges toward the left side is formed. After that, in that state, the lower handle 27 is raised to engage the engaging recess 16a '.
The wire rod 3 located between them is lightly sandwiched by and the engaging projection 16c, and when the position to be the fifth locking portion 3a is determined, the handle 35 at the center is tilted sideways and the fourth engagement member The stopper 3a is disengaged upward from the engaging recess 17b and the engaging protrusion 17a '. Next, after this, the lower handle 27 is completely raised to the limit position, the wire rod 3 is sandwiched by the engagement recess 16a 'and the engagement projection 16c, and the wire rod 3 bulges toward the right side. Mold the locking part. Hereinafter, the same operation as described above is repeated to sequentially form the locking portions 3 a on the wire 3. On the center side in the longitudinal direction of the entire wire 3, the spacing between the adjacent locking portions 3 a, that is, The lengths of the straight portions 3a and 3b before and after the locking portion 3a are the same. Therefore, when forming the portion of the entire wire 3 at the center in the longitudinal direction, the thickness of the shims 38 and 39 is the same. Further, the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the entire wire 3 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, front and rear linear portions 3a, 3 of the locking portion 3a
Since the length of b gradually becomes shorter, shim 3
The thickness of 8, 39 is gradually replaced with a thinner one. In this way, the wire 3 is bent by the first bending device 5 to form the engaging portions 3a which alternately bulge in the opposite direction at predetermined intervals of the wire 3. Since the forming work of the wire rod 3 in the first bending device 5 has been described on the assumption that it is for a spiral stent, the thickness of the shims 38 and 39 may be changed depending on which part of the wire rod 3 is formed. However, when the wire rod 3 is molded for the straight stent shown in FIG. 12, the shims 38 and 39 having the same thickness may be used, and it is not necessary to replace the shims 38 and 39. In other words, the first folding device 5 of this embodiment is
It is a dual type for straight type and spiral type stents. (Structure of Second Bending Device 6) Next, the second bending device 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.
The folding device 6 includes a horizontally supported base 41, and a rectangular plate member 42 is fixed on the base 41. The plate-shaped member 42 has a T-shaped first concave portion 42a and a rectangular second concave portion 42b formed on the same straight line parallel to the X direction. Each recess 42a,
The movable member 43, 44 having the same shape as that of the movable member 43, 44 is housed in 42b, and the movable member 43, 44 can be moved only in the X direction in each of the recesses 42a, 42b. A pair of coil springs 45 is elastically mounted over the opposing end surfaces of the movable member 43 and the first concave portion 42a, whereby the movable member 43 is always attached to the right side in the first concave portion 42a. It is being rushed. The end surface on the right side of the plate member 42 has a through hole 4 that penetrates to the first recess 42a.
2c is bored, and the rod 46 is passed through the through hole 42c. The left end of the rod 46 is in contact with the end surface of the movable member 43. The outer peripheral portion on the right side of the rod 46 is a threaded portion, and the threaded portion of the rod 46 is a pipe 47 as in the case of the first bending device 5 described above.
Of the rod 46, and a lock nut 48 is screwed into the threaded portion of the rod 46. By rotating the rod 46 in the forward and reverse directions, the movable member 4 in the first recess 42a is rotated.
It is possible to adjust the stop position of the rod 3 in the X direction, and the rod 46 can be fixed to the pipe 47 by rotating the lock nut 48 and bringing it into contact with the end portion of the pipe 47. A guide portion 41a is provided on the right upper surface of the base 41, and the pipe 47 is slidably passed through a through hole of the guide portion 41a. A bifurcated connecting portion 51a of a handle 51 is swingably connected to the right end of the pipe 47, and a pair of links 52 is provided between the lower side portions of the handle 51 and the guide portion 41a. Attached. When the handle 51 is tilted sideways as indicated by the imaginary line, the movable member 43 is located on the rightmost side in the first recess 42a. On the other hand, when the handle 51 is raised to the position shown by the solid line against the coil spring 45, the movable member 43 is advanced to the leftmost side in the first recess 42a. A plate-shaped movable pin 53 is attached to the upper surface of the left end of the movable member 43, and the movable pin 53 is placed on the upper surface of the plate-shaped member 42 closer to the center than the first recess 42a. There is. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the tip end side portion of the movable pin 53 is formed so that the width becomes gradually narrower as it comes closer to the tip end 53a, and has a V shape when seen in a plan view. Both sides of the V-shaped portion behind the tip 53a are used as support surfaces 53b. At a position on the extension of the tip of the movable pin 53, a columnar fixing pin 50 is erected on the plate member 41 vertically upward. The outer diameter of the fixing pin 50 protruding from the upper surface of the plate member 41 is set to the same outer diameter as the inner diameter of the locking portion 3a after the completion of molding. Further, in this embodiment, the fixing pin 5
The lower outer peripheral portion of 0 is surrounded by the cylindrical urethane rubber 60 and is embedded in the plate member 41. Then, when the handle 51 is raised and the movable pin 53 advances to the forward end, the tip of the fixed pin 50 contacts the outer peripheral portion of the movable pin 53, as shown in FIG. Although the movable pin 53 and the fixed pin 50 are separately provided in the present embodiment, the fixed pin 5 is not provided.
0 may be omitted, and a cylindrical member corresponding to the fixed pin 50 may be integrally formed at the tip of the movable pin 53. On the other hand, on the end surface on the left side of the plate member 42, the second
A through hole 42d that penetrates to the recess 42b is formed,
The rod 54 penetrates the through hole 42d. The right end of the rod 54 is rotatably connected to the movable member 44, and the outer periphery of the rod 54 on the left side is a threaded portion, and the threaded portion is screwed to the end of the pipe 55. I am letting you. Further, a lock nut 49 is attached to the thread portion of the rod 54.
Is screwed. By rotating the rod 54 in the forward and reverse directions, the stop position of the movable member 44 in the second recess 42b in the X direction can be adjusted, and the lock nut 49 is rotated to be brought into contact with the end of the pipe 55. As a result, the rod 54 can be fixed to the pipe 55. A guide portion 41b is provided on the upper surface on the left side of the base 41, and the pipe 55 is slidably passed through a through hole formed in the guide portion 41b. A bifurcated connecting portion 56a of a handle 56 is swingably connected to the left end of the pipe 55, and a pair of the lower side of the handle 51 and the guide portion 41b are connected to each other. The link 57 is attached. Then, when the handle 57 is tilted sideways as shown by the imaginary line, the movable member 44 retracts to the leftmost side in the second recess 42b, while when the handle 57 is raised to the position shown by the solid line, Movable member 4
4 moves forward to the rightmost side in the second recess 42b. On the upper surface on the right side of the movable member 44, a clamp member 58 composed of a pair of left and right members is provided so as to be openable and closable, and the distal end side of the clamp member 58 is placed on the upper surface of the central part of the plate member 42. I have. A spring 59 is elastically mounted on the opposing surface on the distal end side of the clamp member 58, whereby the clamp member 58 is constantly urged to open. The outer side surface of the clamp member 58 is formed such that the distal end side has a reduced width, which is used as a sliding surface 58a. The sliding surfaces 58a are brought into contact with a pair of engaging pins 61 erected on the plate member 42. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 in an enlarged manner, the tip of the clamp member 58 is located on the opposite side of the movable pin 53 with the fixed pin 50 interposed therebetween. In addition, the clamp member 58
Semi-circular engagement recesses 58b are formed at positions facing each other on the inner side of the tip end of, and the tip end side is further scraped off so that the tip gradually expands. . Both side surfaces of which the tip is flatter than the engaging recess 58b are the engaging surfaces 58c. And both handles 51, 56
In the state in which the movable pin 5 is laid down sideways, as shown in FIG.
The distal end 53a of the No. 3 and the distal end of the clamp member 58 are separated from the fixing pin 50. On the other hand, when the handle 51 is erected, the movable pin 53 is advanced toward the center side so that the tip of the movable pin 53 contacts the fixed pin 50 (FIG. 6).
When 6 is stood, the clamp member 58 advances to the center side,
And the open tip is closed. At this time, the outer peripheral portion of the fixed pin 50 is sandwiched by both engaging recesses 58b of the clamp member 58 from the vertical direction in the drawing, and the support surface 53b of the movable pin 53 is clamped by the clamp member 5.
It is designed to be sandwiched between the eight engaging surfaces 58c. (Description of Operation of Second Folding Device 6) The operation of the second folding device 6 having the above configuration will be described. In the state before the start of the work, since both handles 51 and 56 are tilted sideways as shown by the imaginary line, the handle 51 and 56 are retracted between the tip 53a of the movable pin 53 and the tip of the clamp member 58. It is separated from the fixing pin 50 (FIG. 5). From this state, the wire rod 3 after being molded by the above-described first bending device 5 is placed on the upper surface of the plate-shaped member 42 where the fixing pin 50 is located, and the first
The locking portion 3a of is engaged with the fixing pin 50 from the left side (FIG. 5). Next, when the handle 51 is raised from this state to the position shown by the solid line, the movable pin 53 is advanced to the forward end, and the tip 53a thereof abuts the fixed pin 50 (FIG. 5). After that, when the left handle 56 is raised to the position shown by the solid line, the clamp member 58 is advanced toward the fixing pin 50, and the tip end of the clamp member 58 that has been open until then is gradually closed. . As a result, the front and rear straight portions 3b and 3c of the locking portion 3a are inclined toward the right side by the tip portion of the clamp member 58, and then the locking portion 3a is supported from the inner side by the fixing pin 50. In this state, the engaging portion 3a is sandwiched between the engaging recesses 58b, whereby the semicircular locking portion 3a is formed into a C-shape that is almost circular (FIG. 6). Since the front and rear linear portions 3b and 3c of the locking portion 3a are sandwiched between the engaging surfaces 58c and the support surface 53b of the movable pin 53, the locking portion 3a and the front and rear linear portions 3b and 3c are Are formed into a V-shape as a whole (FIG. 6). In this way, the first locking portion 3a
After molding the front and rear thereof, the handle 56 is returned to the side again, the clamp member 58 is retracted, and the tip end thereof is opened. As a result, the clamped state of the clamp member 58 with respect to the first locking portion 3a is released, so that the first locking portion 3 is disengaged upward from the fixing pin 50. After that, the first locking portion 3 is sent to the upper side in the drawing of FIG. 3 to move the next second locking portion 3 to the fixing pin 5 described above.
0 is engaged. As described above, the swelling directions of the successive locking portions 3 are opposite to each other, so immediately before the second locking portion 3 is engaged with the distal end portion 53 a of the movable pin 53, The entire wire 3 is reversed. Then, after that, if the handle 56 is raised, the clamp member 58 is moved forward and closed, so that the second locking portion 3a is released.
It is clamped by the inside of the tip of 8. Therefore, the second locking portion 3a is also formed into a substantially circular shape, and the second locking portion 3a and the linear portions before and after the second locking portion 3a are formed into a V-shape as a whole. Hereinafter, in the manner described above, the locking portions 3a that are sequentially rearward and the straight portions before and after the locking portions 3a are formed. As described above, in the present embodiment, the wire rod 3 is molded by the first bending device 5 and the second bending device 6 as described above. The dimensional accuracy of each part of the wire rod 3 after the molding is improved, and the molding work can be simplified to improve the working efficiency. When the locking portion 3a is formed on the wire 3 for a straight type stent, only the second forming members 17 and 17 'at the central position in the first bending device 5 shown in FIG. It may have a configuration provided in parallel. That is, in the case of a stent for a straight type stent, straight portions 3b before and after the locking portion 3a,
Since all the dimensions of 3c are the same, even if only two such second molding members 17 and 17 'are provided in parallel on the base, it is possible to obtain the operational effects of this embodiment described above. You can In this case, the adjacent second molding members 1
Engaging projections 17a '(engaging recess 17
It is necessary to form b) in mutually opposite directions. Also, FIG.
Both movable members 13 in the first folding device 5 shown in FIG.
When moving 14 in the Y direction, both movable members 1
It is also possible to provide a nut member on the side portions of 3 and 14 and screw the screw shaft on the drive motor side into the nut member.

[0007]

As described above, according to the present invention, the dimensional accuracy of each portion of the wire rod after completion of molding can be improved and the molding work can be simplified and the working efficiency can be improved, as compared with the prior art. The effect is obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a first folding device showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a second bending device showing one embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a cross-sectional view of the main part taken along the line IV-IV in FIG.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a main part shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a different state of each member shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front view of a stent on which the present invention is based.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a blood vessel showing a state where a stent is placed.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a forming process of the wire rod.

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a forming process of the wire rod.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of one of the locking portions formed on the wire.

FIG. 12 is a plan view of a wire rod formed for a straight stent.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of a wire rod formed for a spiral stent.

FIG. 14 is a front view of a spiral stent.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Stent 3 Wire material 3a Locking part 5 1st bending device 6 2nd bending device 15, 15 '
First molding member 16, 16 'Second molding member 17, 17'
Third molding member 38, 39 Shim (spacing adjusting means) 53 Movable pin 53a Tip portion 53b Support surface 58 Clamp member 58b Engagement recess 58c Engagement surface

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A pair of first molding members, each of which has a semi-circular engagement portion that engages with each other at opposing locations, and is provided so as to be relatively movable in the X direction, which is a direction in which the semi-circular engagement and separation are performed, A pair of second molding members which are arranged in parallel with the first molding member, each of which has a semi-circular engagement portion which engages with each other at an opposing position, and which is provided so as to be relatively movable in the X direction; A second molding member is provided so as to be movable relative to the first molding member in a Y direction orthogonal to the X direction, and the first molding member and the second molding member are separated from each other in the Y direction. Bending of the wire rod characterized in that the wire rod is sandwiched by the respective engaging portions of the above-mentioned forming members to form semi-circular locking portions at predetermined intervals of the wire rod by providing a space adjusting means for adjusting the wire rod. apparatus. 2. The gap adjusting means comprises a shim interposed between the molding members.
The wire bending apparatus described in 1. 3. A pair of first molding members, each of which has a semi-circular engagement portion that engages with each other at opposing locations, and is provided so as to be relatively movable in the X direction, which is a direction in which the semi-circular engagement and separation are made, A pair of second molding members which are arranged in parallel with the first molding member, each of which has a semi-circular engagement portion which engages with each other at an opposing position, and which is provided so as to be relatively movable in the X direction; An apparatus for bending a wire rod, comprising: holding the wire rod between the engaging portions of the forming members to form semi-circular locking portions at predetermined intervals of the wire rod. 4. A clamp member having semi-circular engagement recesses at opposing positions, and a flat engagement surface on which the front end side gradually recedes at the front end side adjacent to the engagement recesses. , The tip portion is formed into a substantially circular shape, and the rear side portion of the rounded tip portion is formed so that the width on the rear side is gradually increased, and When a semicircular locking portion provided on the wire is supported from the inside by a tip portion of the pin and sandwiched by both engaging concave portions of the clamp member, At the same time, the front and rear straight portions of the locking portion are sandwiched between the engaging surface of the clamp member and the support surface of the pin to form the locking portion into a substantially circular shape, and the locking portion and the front and rear linear portions thereof are formed. Wire bending device, characterized in that the whole is molded into a V shape 5. The pin is divided into a circular tip portion and a rear side portion which forms a V-shaped support surface on the rear side of the tip portion and forms a V-shaped support surface. The wire rod bending apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the rear side portion is configured to be able to come into contact with and separate from the circular tip portion.