Stented vascular graft

• US 10,080,643 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2016
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates (W.L. Gore & Associates)
• Original Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates (W.L. Gore & Associates)
• Inventors: Cully, Edward H., Kanjickal, Deenu, Kilgrow, Bret J., Kovach, Larry J., Stringer, Timothy T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shi, Katherine M
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENDOZA, MICHAEL G
• Application Number:
  US15/053,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20160235518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/06 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/064 with special features to facilitate anastomotic coupling anastomosis of natural blood vessels A61B17/11
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/852 Two or more distinct overlapping stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/86 Stents in a form characterised by the wire-like elements; Stents in the form characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/89 the wire-like elements comprising two or more adjacent rings flexibly connected by separate members
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9522 Means for mounting a stent or stent-graft onto or into a placement instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9525 using a funnel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/97 the outer sleeve being splittable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/065 Y-shaped blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/828 Means for connecting a plurality of stents allowing flexibility of the whole structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9511 the retaining means being filaments or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0014 using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0069 cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2240/001 Designing or manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0067 Means for introducing or releasing pharmaceutical products into the body
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49885 with coating before or during assembling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49901 Sequentially associating parts on stationary aligning means

Abstract

A vascular graft incorporating a stent into a portion of its length. While various materials may be used for the vascular graft, the graft is preferably an ePTFE graft. The stent is preferably a self-expanding stent, although it may alternatively be a balloon expandable stent. The vascular graft preferably has a continuous inner tubular liner that extends between the opposing ends of the graft and provides a continuous luminal surface for blood contact that is uninterrupted by seams or joints. The length portion of the graft that does not include the stent has a greater wall thickness than does the portion including the stent.

Claims

1. A method of treating a patient, the method comprising:

introducing a stent of an implantable prosthesis into a body conduit of a patient, the implantable prosthesis including a first tubular vascular graft that has a length, an inside diameter and two ends, the length including a first length portion and a second length portion that together make up the entire length of the implantable prosthesis, the second length portion having a greater length than the first length portion, the stent being secured coaxially over the first length portion of the first tubular vascular graft and having a length corresponding to the first length portion, and a second tubular vascular graft wherein the combination of the second tubular graft and the second length portion of the first tubular vascular graft does not coaxially cover the stent; and

deploying the stent of the implantable prosthesis in the body conduit of the patient such that the second tubular vascular graft extends external to the body conduit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the stent is self-expanding and is constrained by a constraining member and deploying the stent in the body conduit includes inserting at least a portion of the stent into the body conduit with a delivery device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein introducing the stent of the implantable prosthesis into the body conduit includes creating an opening in the body conduit and inserting the stent of the implantable device into the body conduit.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein deploying the stent of the implantable prosthesis in the body conduit of the patient includes placing the stent into physical contact with the luminal surface of the body conduit.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the stent is inserted into the body conduit through the opening such that the entire stent is received in the body conduit.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the stent is partially inserted into the body conduit through the opening such that a portion of the stent extends out of the body conduit through the opening in the body conduit.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein introducing the stent of the implantable prosthesis into the body conduit includes ligating the body conduit and inserting the stent into the ligated body conduit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the stent is introduced into the body conduit while the stent is constrained in a diametrically compacted state by a sheath, and further wherein deploying the stent includes tensioning an end of the sheath to effect deployment of the constrained stent.

9. A method of implanting a prosthesis, the method comprising:

introducing a stent of an implantable prosthesis into a first body conduit of the patient, the implantable prosthesis having a first end, a second end, and an overall length and including a first tubular vascular graft defining a continuous inner lumen extending the overall length of the implantable prosthesis, the overall length including a first portion and a second portion, the second portion having a greater length than the first portion, the stent being coaxially secured about a first portion of the first tubular vascular graft, and a second tubular vascular graft secured about a second portion of the first tubular vascular graft without covering the stent; and

deploying the stent in the first body conduit of the patient to secure the first end of the implantable prosthesis in the first body conduit.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising suturing the second end of the implantable prosthesis to a second body conduit to form an anastomosis between the first and second body conduits.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the stent is self-expanding and the stent and the first portion of the first vascular graft are constrained by a constraining member, and further wherein deploying the stent in the first body conduit includes releasing the constraining member to transition the stent and the first portion of the first vascular graft from a constrained configuration having a first diameter to a deployed configuration having a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the stent is self-expanding and is constrained by a constraining member and deploying the stent in the first body conduit includes inserting the first end of the implantable prosthesis into the first body conduit with a delivery device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein introducing the stent of the implantable prosthesis into the first body conduit includes creating an opening in the first body conduit and inserting the stent of the implantable prosthesis into the first body conduit.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the stent is entirely inserted into the first body conduit through the opening.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the stent is partially inserted into the first body conduit through the opening such that a portion of the stent extends out of the first body conduit through the opening in the first body conduit.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein introducing the stent of the implantable prosthesis into the first body conduit includes ligating the first body conduit and inserting the stent into the open end of the first body conduit.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the stent is introduced into the first body conduit while the stent is constrained in a diametrically compacted state by a sheath, and further wherein deploying the stent includes tensioning an end of the sheath to effect deployment of the constrained stent.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the stent is constrained by a sheath including a splittable seam and further wherein deploying the stent includes tensioning the sheath to split the splittable seam to release the constrained stent.

19. A method of treating a patient, the method comprising:

introducing a first stent of an implantable prosthesis into a first body conduit of a patient, the implantable prosthesis including;

a first tubular vascular graft having a length, an inside diameter, a first end, and a second end, the length including first end length portion located at the first end of the first tubular vascular graft, a second end length portion located at the second end of the first tubular vascular graft, and a middle length portion extending between the first and second end length portions,

a first stent secured coaxially over the first end length portion of the first tubular vascular graft,

a second stent secured coaxially over the second end length portion of the first tubular vascular graft, and

a second tubular vascular graft secured over the middle length portion of the first tubular vascular graft while not coaxially covering a substantial portion of the first and second stents with the second tubular vascular graft;

deploying the first stent in the first body conduit; and

introducing a second stent of an implantable prosthesis in a second body conduit of a patient; and

deploying the second stent in the second body conduit.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first and second stents are each constrained by a sheath including a splittable seam and further wherein deploying the first and second stents includes tensioning the respective ends of the sheaths to split the splittable seams to release the first and second stents.