Flareable branch vessel prosthesis and method

• US 20050222668A1
• Filed: 11/08/2004
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cook Medical Technologies, LLC (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cook Medical Technologies, LLC (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schaeffer, Darin G., Hoffa, Michael C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,287,586 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1107 for blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1139 Side-to-side connections, e.g. shunt or X-connections
• 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 2/856 Single tubular stent with a side portal passage
• 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 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/954 for placing stents or stent-grafts in a bifurcation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/065 Y-shaped blood vessels
• 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 2002/821 Ostial stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/8483 Barbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/8486 provided on at least one of the ends
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91508 the meander having a difference in amplitude along the band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91525 within the whole structure different bands showing different meander characteristics, e.g. frequency or amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91533 characterised by the phase between adjacent bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 : connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91566 : connected trough to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9511 : the retaining means being filaments or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0076 : multilayered, e.g. laminated structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 : with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/005 : using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 : sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0083 : using hook and loop-type fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/005 : Rosette-shaped, e.g. star-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 : V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0067 : conical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0078 : hyperboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0018 : differing in elasticity, stiffness or compressibility
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 : differing in diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0097 : Visible markings, e.g. indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 : radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers

Abstract

A branch vessel prosthesis for use with an aorta stent graft defining a lumen and having a fenestration aligned with a branch vessel, includes an expandable stent that has a tubular portion, a flareable portion, and at least one bending portion located between the tubular and the flareable portions. Upon deployment of the branch vessel prosthesis, the flareable portion is flared by bending of the bending portion.

Claims

1. A branch vessel prosthesis for use with an aorta stent graft defining a lumen and having a fenestration aligned with a branch vessel, comprising:

an expandable stent comprising a tubular portion, a flareable portion, and at least one bending portion located between the tubular and the flareable portions; and

wherein the flareable portion is flared by bending of the bending portion.

2. The prosthesis of claim 1 further comprising a graft material affixed to the expandable stent to form a branch vessel lumen therethrough.

3. The prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the expandable stent comprises metal struts and wherein at least some of the metal struts have a reduced diameter at the bending portion so as to facilitate bending at the bending portion.

4. The prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the expandable stent comprises metal struts and wherein at least some of the metal struts are heat treated so as to facilitate bending at the bending portion.

5. The prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the expandable stent comprises metal struts and wherein at least some of the metal struts are mechanically worked so as to facilitate bending at the bending portion.

6. The prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the expandable stent comprises metal struts and wherein at least some of the metal struts are geometrically configured so as to facilitate bending at the bending portion.

7. The prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the expandable stent comprises metal struts and wherein the bending portion comprises fewer struts per unit area than the tubular portion or the flaring portion to thereby facilitate bending at the bending portion.

8. The prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the material of the expandable stent at the bending portion is more bendable than the material of the tubular portion or flaring portion.

9. The prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the expandable stent is self expandable.

10. The prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the expandable stent is balloon expandable.

11. A method of deploying a branch vessel prosthesis in a patient having an aorta stent graft defining a lumen and having a fenestration aligned with a branch vessel, comprising:

deploying an expandable stent comprising a tubular portion, a flareable portion, and at least one bending portion located between the tubular and the flareable portions; and

applying a radially expanding force to the bending portion to thereby flare the flareable portion.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the radially expanding force is applied by a balloon catheter.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the branch vessel prosthesis is deployed in a delivery system including the prosthesis loaded around the balloon catheter.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the branch vessel prosthesis further comprises a graft material affixed to the expandable stent to form a branch vessel lumen therethrough.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the expandable stent comprises metal struts and wherein at least some of the metal struts have a reduced diameter at the bending portion so as to facilitate bending at the bending portion.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the expandable stent comprises metal struts and wherein at least some of the metal struts are heat treated so as to facilitate bending at the bending portion.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the expandable stent comprises metal struts and wherein at least some of the metal struts are mechanically worked so as to facilitate bending at the bending portion.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the expandable stent comprises metal struts and wherein at least some of the metal struts are geometrically configured so as to facilitate bending at the bending portion.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the expandable stent comprises metal struts and wherein the bending portion comprises fewer struts per unit area than the tubular portion or the flaring portion to thereby facilitate bending at the bending portion.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the material of the expandable stent at the bending portion is more bendable than the material of the tubular portion or flaring portion.