Integral support stent graft assembly

• US 20050131516A1
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Secant Group, LLC (Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin Sca)
• Original Assignee: SECANT MEDICAL, LLC (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Inventors: Greenhalgh, E. Skott
• Granted Patent: US 7,122,052 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.130
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/88 the wire-like elements formed as helical or spiral coils forming a net-like or mesh-like structure A61F2/90
• 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 2002/067 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0007 for adjusting length

Abstract

A stent graft is disclosed having a tubular graft formed from flexible filamentary members interwoven with a supporting monofilament defining radial corrugations around the graft. The ends of the graft are tapered from a smaller to a larger diameter and have stents attached thereto for engagement with a vascular vessel. The stents are attached to the graft by passing through two rows of slots cut in the graft and arranged in spaced relation to one another. The slots are positioned on a reverse fold of the graft to capture the stent. The stent graft may be modular and have limbs insertable into a base module. The base module has a main central space in communication with branch central spaces defined by a line of attachment between the branch central spaces. The terminus of the line of attachment forms a shoulder for retaining the limbs.

Claims

1. A stent graft for repair of a vascular vessel, said stent graft comprising:

a graft formed of a plurality of flexible filamentary members interwoven to form an elongated tube;

a stiffening monofilament interwoven with said flexible filamentary members, said monofilament extending helically around said tube and defining a plurality of circumferential corrugations in said tube; and

a stent positioned at one end of said tube, said stent surrounding said end and being deformable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration supporting said tube in an open configuration, said one end being tapered from a smaller to a larger diameter for providing sealing engagement with said vascular vessel.

2. A stent graft according to claim 1, wherein said flexible filamentary members are formed of a polymer and said stiffening monofilament is formed from a metal.

3. A stent graft according to claim 1, wherein said tube comprises a bifurcated tube having a first tube segment and two branch tube segments in fluid communication with said first tube segment at a bifurcation point.

4. A stent graft according to claim 3, wherein one of said branch tube segments is separable from said first tube segment.

5. A stent graft according to claim 4, wherein said first tube segment comprises a first sidewall portion defining a first central space and second and third sidewall portions defining second and third central spaces in fluid communication with said first central space, a line of attachment being formed between said second and third central spaces by joining opposing portions of said sidewall portions together, said line of attachment having a terminal point positioned at a junction of said first, second and third central spaces and thereby forming a shoulder within said graft, an end of said one branch segment having a stent attached thereto and being insertable within one of said second and third central spaces, said end having said stent being engageable with said shoulder, engagement between said end and said shoulder retaining said one branch segment to said first tube segment.

6. A stent graft according to claim 5, wherein said sidewall portions are joined by interweaving one to another along said line of attachment.

7. A stent graft according to claim 1, wherein:

said stent comprises a plurality of first projections extending in a first direction and a plurality of second projections extending in a second direction opposite to said first projections; and

said one end of said tube comprises a reverse fold having a plurality of first openings in said tube in a first row extending circumferentially around said reverse fold, and a plurality of second openings in said tube in a second row extending circumferentially around said reverse fold, said first and second rows being positioned in spaced relation to one another, said stent being positioned between said first and second rows, said first projections extending through said first openings in said first row and said second projections extending in an opposite direction through said second openings in said second row, said stent being thereby retained to said graft.

8. A stent graft according to claim 7, wherein said first and second projections comprise a plurality of interconnected loops that extend circumferentially to form a ring surrounding said one end of said tube.

9. A stent graft according to claim 7, wherein said reverse fold and a portion of said tube adjacent to said first fold are comprised of a sidewall of said tube having a reduced thickness in comparison with the remainder of said tube.

10. A stent graft according to claim 9, wherein said reverse fold and said portion of said tube adjacent to said first fold each have a thickness of ½

of the thickness of the remainder of said tube.

11. A stent graft according to claim 7, further comprising a region of enhanced biocompatibility positioned on said tube adjacent to said reverse fold, said region of enhanced biocompatibility facing radially outwardly and facilitating the formation of a biological seal between said stent graft and said vascular vessel.

12. A stent graft according to claim 11, wherein said region of enhanced biocompatibility comprises interstices formed in said tube to facilitate ingrowth of living tissue forming said vascular vessel.

13. A stent graft according to claim 11, wherein said region of enhanced biocompatibility comprises interweaving filaments into said tube that provoke a healing reaction in living tissue.

14. A stent graft according to claim 11, wherein said region of enhanced biocompatibility comprises coating said tube adjacent to said reverse fold with compounds that provide a healing reaction in living tissue.

15. A stent graft for repair of a vascular vessel, said stent graft comprising:

a first tube segment including a first sidewall portion defining a first central space and second and third sidewall portions defining second and third central spaces in fluid communication with said first central space, a line of attachment being formed between said second and third central spaces by joining opposing portions of said sidewall portions together, said line of attachment having a terminal point positioned at a junction of said first, second and third central spaces and thereby forming a shoulder within said graft; and

a first branch segment having a stent positioned at one end thereof, said one end being insertable within said second central space and being engageable with said shoulder, engagement between said first branch segment and said shoulder retaining said first branch segment to said first tube segment.

16. A stent graft according to claim 15, further comprising a second branch segment having a second stent positioned at one end thereof, said one end of said second branch segment being insertable within said third central space and being engageable with said shoulder, engagement between said second branch segment and said shoulder retaining said second branch segment to said first tube segment.

17. A stent graft according to claim 15, wherein said first branch segment has a second stent positioned at an opposite end thereof, said second stent surrounding said opposite end, said opposite end being tapered from a smaller to a larger diameter for providing sealing engagement with said vascular vessel.

18. A stent graft according to claim 15, wherein said first tube segment is formed of a plurality of interwoven flexible filamentary members and a stiffening monofilament interwoven with said flexible filamentary members, said monofilament extending helically around said first tube segment and forming a reinforcing rib integral with said first tube segment thereby defining a plurality of circumferential corrugations in said tube.

19. A stent graft for repair of a vascular vessel, said stent graft comprising:

a stent having a plurality of first projections extending in a first direction and a plurality of second projections extending in a second direction opposite to said first projections; and

a graft formed of a plurality of flexible filamentary members interwoven to form an elongated tube, one end of said tube comprising a reverse fold having a plurality of first openings in said tube in a first row extending circumferentially around said reverse fold, and a plurality of second openings in said tube in a second row extending circumferentially around said reverse fold, said first and second rows being positioned in spaced relation to one another, said stent being positioned between said first and second rows, said first projections extending through said first openings in said first row and said second projections extending in an opposite direction through said second openings in said second row, said stent being thereby retained to said graft.

20. A bifurcated stent graft for repair of a bifurcated vascular vessel, said stent graft comprising:

a first elongated tubular segment having a stent for supporting said segment in an open configuration at one end; and

first and second branch tubular segments extending from an opposite end of said first elongated tubular segment and in fluid communication therewith, said branch tubular segments each having a free end distal to said first elongated tubular segment, respective stents being positioned at said free ends for supporting said free ends of said first and second branch tubular segments in an open configuration, said first and second branch tubular segments being lengthwise collapsible so as to fit within said first elongated tubular segment, said first and second branch segments being extendible lengthwise from said first elongated tubular segment for sealing engagement with said bifurcated vascular vessel.