Prosthetic repair of body passages

• US 20060265055A1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karl-Lutz Lauterjung
• Original Assignee: Karl-Lutz Lauterjung
• Inventors: Lauterjung, Karl-Lutz
• Granted Patent: US 8,128,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.350
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/24 Heart valves ; Vascular valves, e.g. venous valves; Heart implants, e.g. passive devices for improving the function of the native valve or the heart muscle; Transmyocardial revascularisation [TMR] devices; Valves implantable in the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2412 with soft flexible valve members, e.g. tissue valves shaped like natural valves check valves with flexible valve members in general F16K15/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2439 Expansion controlled by filaments
• 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 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/954 for placing stents or stent-grafts in a bifurcation
• 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 2002/30327 differing in diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30505 spring biased
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/826 more than one stent being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9511 the retaining means being filaments or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0025 Connections or couplings between prosthetic parts, e.g. between modular parts; Connecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 differing in diameter

Abstract

A prosthesis that resiliently engages a body passage includes an annular clamping ring which may be folded along a diametric axis for insertion into the body passage. The clamping ring is adapted to resiliently spring outwardly, once in position inside the body passage, and to be continually resiliently biased against the interior surface of the body passage. One or more of the clamping rings may be attached to opposed ends of a tubular graft. The rings and connected graft may be positioned in the body passage using a applicator which selectively permits expansion and/or in some embodiments contraction of the annular ring in position within a body passage. Alternatively a retaining member may be used to retain the annular ring in a compressed condition until it is in a desired position within a body passage. Among other potential uses, the present invention may be useful as a vascular stent for treating abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Claims

1. A prosthetic device for implantation in a body passage comprising a first prosthesis including a bifurcated graft having at least a free end and a longitudinal axis, and an annular resilient element comprising windings formed of a strand of wire, said windings located at said free end and transverse to said longitudinal axis, a portion of a surface of one winding wrapped around a portion of a surface of another winding to form two substantially contiguous circles, said windings connected together to form a bundle, the diameter of said bundle of windings corresponding with the diameter of said annular element.

2. The prosthetic device according to claim 1 wherein said bifurcated graft includes a first tubular section and a pair of tubular sections integrated with said first tubular section.

3. The prosthetic device according to claim 1 wherein said annular element is formed by wrapping a plurality of windings of wire around a common core and connecting said windings together.

4. The prosthetic device according to claim 1 wherein said wire is formed of a superelastic phase nickel titanium alloy.

5. The prosthetic device according to claim 1 wherein said annular element is adapted to be situated inside a body passage in a c-shaped deformed configuration.

6. The prosthetic device according to claim 1 wherein said bifurcated graft has a first diameter in a middle portion and a second diameter over a portion of the remainder thereof, said second diameter greater than said first diameter.

7. The prosthetic device according to claim 1, further comprising a device for receiving a positioning wire.

8. The prosthetic device according to claim 7 wherein said device for receiving a positioning wire includes an internal passage for releasably receiving said positioning wire.

9. The prosthetic device according to claim 1 wherein the diameter of said annular element is about 13 mm.

10. The prosthetic device according to claim 2 wherein an end of said first tubular section is connected to said annular element and each of said pair of tubular sections has a free end.

11. A prosthetic device comprising:

a first prosthesis having a resiliently deformable annular element and a bifurcated graft having a longitudinal axis, said annular element connected to a free end of said bifurcated graft and transverse to said longitudinal axis, said annular element comprising concentric windings and radially overlapping windings, said windings formed of a strand of wire and connected together to form a bundle of windings having a substantially circular cross-section, said cross-section taken at any point on the circumference of said annular element, along a line that is parallel with said longitudinal axis to yield a substantially similar cross-sectional shape; and

a second prosthesis having a resiliently deformable annular element and a tubular graft, said annular element thereof adapted to engage with an internal surface of said first prosthesis.

12. The prosthetic device according to claim 11, further comprising a third prosthesis having a resiliently deformable annular element and a tubular graft, said annular element thereof adapted to engage with an internal surface of said first prosthesis, wherein said annular element of said third prosthesis is a ring comprising a bundle of concentric windings formed of a strand of wire.

13. The prosthetic device according to claim 11 wherein said first prosthesis has one end which defines a single passage and an opposite end which defines a pair of bifurcated passages which communicate with said single passage.

14. The prosthetic device according to claim 11 wherein said first prosthesis has a first diameter in a middle portion and a second diameter over a portion of the remainder of the prosthesis, said second diameter being greater than said first diameter.

15. The prosthetic device according to claim 14 wherein said portion of the remainder has a relatively constant diameter.

16. The prosthetic device according to claim 12, further comprising a fourth prosthesis engaging said first prosthesis.

17. The prosthetic device according to claim 16 wherein said fourth prosthesis has a pair of annular resilient deformable elements and a tubular graft, said annular elements thereof being attached to free ends of said graft of said fourth prosthesis, one of said elements of said fourth prosthesis being adapted to engage with the interior of said first prosthesis.

18. The prosthetic device according to claim 17 wherein said annular resilient deformable elements of said fourth prosthesis are rings comprising a bundle of concentric windings formed of a strand of wire.