Medical device amenable to fenestration

• US 20040059406A1
• Filed: 09/20/2002
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates (W.L. Gore & Associates)
• Original Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates (W.L. Gore & Associates)
• Inventors: Cutright, Warren J., Cully, Edward H., Nordhausen, Craig T., Vonesh, Michael J., Walter, James T.
• Application Number:
  US10/251,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20040059406A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3478 Endoscopic needles, e.g. for infusion biopsy needles A61B10/0233; catheters with injection needles A61M25/0067
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• 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 2002/061 provided with means for allowing access to secondary lumens
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/065 Y-shaped blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/072 Encapsulated stents, e.g. wire or whole stent embedded in lining
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/821 Ostial stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/005 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0058 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/507 for artificial blood vessels apparatus for applying cells on a blood vessel prosthesis A61F2/062

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a device that permits a permanent aperture to be formed in a wall, or other partition, of an implantable medical device. The present invention maintains the continuity and fluid-retaining properties of the implantable medical device by providing a breachable barrier material fully covering an opening delimited by a deformable framework. The invention is accessed with conventional interventional surgical instruments that disrupt and displace the barrier material. Following disruption of the barrier material, the opening is enlarged with surgical instruments to form a permanent framed aperture in the wall of the implantable medical device. The permanent framed aperture provides fluid communication across the wall of the implantable medical device.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device comprising a framework delimiting an opening having a first area and a breachable barrier material fully covering said opening, wherein a permanent aperture having a second area is formed following breach of said breachable material and said framework is adaptable to be altered in shape.

2. The implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein said framework is incorporated into a medical device.

3. The implantable medical device of claim 2 wherein said medical device is a vascular prosthesis.

8. The implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein said breachable barrier material comprises a fluoropolymer.

9. The implantable medical device of claim 8 wherein said fluoropolymer is a polytetrafluoroethylene material.

10. The implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein said breachable barrier material comprises a bio-degradable material.

11. The implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein said breachable barrier material includes a filler material.

12. The implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein said breachable barrier material comprises an elastomer.

13. The implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein said framework is made of an implantable metal.

14. The implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein said framework is made of an implantable polymer.

4. The implantable medical device of claim 4 wherein said vascular prosthesis is a vascular graft.

5. The implantable medical device of claim 4 wherein said vascular prosthesis is a stent-graft.

6. The implantable medical device of claim 5 wherein said device is distinct from support elements of said stent-graft.

7. The implantable medical device of claim 4 wherein said vascular prosthesis is a surgical patch.

15. An implantable medical device comprising a continuous wall, at least one framework in said wall delimiting an opening having a first area, a breachable barrier material fully covering said opening, wherein a permanent aperture having a second area is formed following breach of said breachable material and said framework is adaptable to be altered in shape and have a reinforced peripheral region in said continuous wall.

16. The implantable medical device of claim 15 wherein said continuous wall has a planar geometry.

17. The implantable medical device of claim 15 wherein said continuous wall has a tubular geometry.

18. The implantable medical device of claim 15 wherein said continuous wall is a vascular prosthesis.

19. The implantable medical device of claim 18 wherein said vascular prosthesis is a vascular graft.

20. The implantable medical device of claim 18 wherein said vascular prosthesis is a surgical patch.

21. The implantable medical device of claim 18 wherein said vascular prosthesis is a stent-graft.

22. The implantable medical device of claim 21 wherein said device is distinct from support elements of said stent-graft.

23. The implantable medical device of claim 15 wherein said device is a component of a vascular prosthesis.

24. The implantable medical device of claim 23 wherein said vascular prosthesis is a stent-graft.

25. The implantable medical device of claim 24 wherein said device is distinct from support elements of said stent-graft.

26. The implantable medical device of claim 15 wherein said continuous wall comprises a fluoropolymer.

27. The implantable medical device of claim 26 wherein said fluoropolymer is a polytetrafluoroethylene material.

28. The implantable medical device of claim 15 wherein said framework is made of an implantable metal.

29. The implantable medical device of claim 15 wherein said breachable barrier material comprises a fluoropolymer.

30. The implantable medical device of claim 29 wherein said fluoropolymer is a polytetrafluoroethylene material.

31. The implantable medical device of claim 15 wherein said breachable barrier material comprises a biodegradable material.

32. The implantable medical device of claim 15 wherein said breachable barrier material includes a filler material.

33. The implantable medical device of claim 15 wherein said breachable barrier material comprises an elastomer.