Endoluminal prosthesis

• US 20070055345A1
• Filed: 09/02/2005
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Arbefeuille, Samuel
• Granted Patent: US 8,663,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.130
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/89 the wire-like elements comprising two or more adjacent rings flexibly connected by separate members
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/065 Y-shaped blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/826 more than one stent being applied sequentially

Abstract

An endoluminal prosthesis is provided that includes a tubular graft and an expandable annular support structure for use in a body lumen through which body fluids flow. The annular support structure is coupled to the tubular graft where it is to be sealingly engaged with the inner wall of a body lumen so that the graft and support structure, in combination, provide an improved seal. An embodiment according to the invention provides an annular structure with longitudinally staggered apices providing multiple levels of contact with the inner body lumen wall to provide a seal at multiple levels along the length of the prosthesis. One embodiment relates to tubular grafts for endoluminal placement within blood vessels for the treatment of abdominal and other aneurysms.

Claims

1. An endoluminal prosthesis comprising:

a tubular graft having a length and comprising;

a graft material, a proximal end having a proximal opening, and a distal end having a distal opening, wherein the proximal and distal openings and the graft material form a lumen for the flow of body fluids therethrough;

a first annular support member attached to the graft material, said first annular support member comprising a closed ring defining a circumference and an axis extending longitudinally therethrough, a plurality of apices coupled by a plurality of spokes, wherein the apices comprise alternating crests and troughs arranged to hold the graft material in a leak resistant sealing engagement with the inner wall of a body lumen;

wherein at least one of the troughs extends axially beyond an other of the troughs.

2. The endoluminal prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the annular support member comprises a spring biased in a radially outward direction.

3. The endoluminal prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the first annular support member is attached to the graft material at the proximal end of the tubular graft.

4. The endoluminal prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the troughs of the annular support member comprise a plurality of alternating longer troughs and shorter troughs.

5. The endoluminal prosthesis of claim 4 further comprising a second annular support member comprising a plurality of second spokes coupled by a plurality of second apices to form a second ring,

wherein the second annular support member is attached to the graft material to define a circumferential area of the graft material around the second annular support member, and

wherein the one of the longer troughs of the first support member is attached to the graft material within the circumferential area of the second support member.

6. The endoluminal prosthesis of claim 5

wherein the plurality of second apices of the second annular support member comprise alternating second crests and second troughs and wherein the second crests comprise a plurality of alternating longer crests and shorter crests.

7. The endoluminal prosthesis of claim 6 wherein the longer troughs of the first annular support member are longitudinally aligned with the shorter crests of the second annular support member and the shorter troughs of the first annular support member are longitudinally aligned with the longer crests of the second annular support member.

8. The endoluminal prosthesis of claim 7 wherein the first annular support member is attached to the graft material to define a circumferential area of the graft material around the first annular support member, and

wherein the longer crests of the of the second support member are attached within the circumferential area of graft material around the first annular support member and the longer troughs of the first support member are attached within the circumferential area of graft material around the second annular support member.

9. The endoluminal prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the prosthesis is an aneurysm exclusion device

10. The endoluminal prosthesis of claim 1 wherein

the proximal end comprises trunk portion and the distal end is branched into at least two branch portions, each of the at least two branch portions having a distal opening, the trunk portion and the branch portions forming a lumen for the flow of body fluids from the proximal opening through the distal openings of the at least two branch portions.

11. An endoluminal prosthesis comprising:

a tubular graft having a length and comprising;

a graft material, a proximal end having a proximal opening, and a distal end having a distal opening, wherein the proximal and distal openings and the graft material form a lumen for the flow of body fluids therethrough;

a first annular support member attached to the graft material, said first annular support member comprising a closed ring defining a circumference and an axis extending longitudinally therethrough, said first annular support member having a plurality of radially supporting elements arranged to hold the graft material in a leak resistant sealing engagement with the inner wall of a body lumen,

wherein the plurality of radially supporting elements are arranged to hold the graft material in the leak resistant sealing engagement at three or more lengths along the graft with respect to the length of the graft.

12. The endoluminal prosthesis of claim 11 wherein the radially supporting elements comprise spring elements biased in a radially outward direction.

13. The endoluminal prosthesis of claim 11 wherein a first of the three or more lengths is at the proximal end and at least one of said radially supporting elements is attached to the graft material at the proximal end.

14. The endoluminal prosthesis of claim 13

wherein the closed ring comprises a plurality of apices coupled by a plurality of spokes,

wherein the apices comprise alternating crests and alternating troughs,

wherein the alternating crests are attached at the first of three lengths.

15. The endoluminal prosthesis of claim 14

wherein a first trough extends to a second of said at least three lengths and second trough extends axially beyond the first trough to a third of said at least three lengths.

16. An endoluminal prosthesis comprising:

tubular graft means for placement within a body lumen and for conducting flow of body fluids therethrough, the tubular graft means having a length and comprising body fluid exclusion means, a proximal portion having a proximal opening, and a distal portion having a distal opening, the proximal and distal openings and the body fluid exclusion means forming a lumen means for the flow of body fluids therethrough;

first annular support means for holding the tubular graft means in a leak resistant sealing engagement with the inner wall of a body lumen, said first annular support means comprising a plurality of radial spring means for holding the graft material in a leak resistant sealing engagement with the inner wall of a body lumen at a plurality of lengths along the graft means with respect to the length of the graft means.

17. The endoluminal prosthesis of claim 16 wherein the first annular support means is attached to the graft material at the proximal portion of the tubular graft.

18. The endoluminal prosthesis of claim 16

wherein annular support means comprises a closed undulating ring means comprising a plurality of alternating crest means and trough means coupled by a plurality of spokes,

wherein the radial spring means comprise said trough means, and

wherein at least one of the trough means extends axially beyond an other of the trough means to provide the leak resistant sealing engagement at a plurality of lengths along the graft with respect to the length of the graft.

19. The endoluminal prosthesis of claim 18 wherein the trough means of the annular support means comprises a plurality of alternating longer trough means and shorter trough means.

20. A method of manufacturing an endoluminal prosthesis comprising the steps of:

providing a tubular graft comprising a graft material and defining an opening having an axis therethrough;

attaching a first annular support member to the graft material, the first annular support member comprising a plurality of apices coupled by a plurality of spokes and forming a closed ring defining a circumference, wherein the apices comprise alternating crests and troughs, wherein at least one of the troughs extends axially beyond an other of the troughs and wherein the troughs of the annular support member comprise a plurality of alternating longer troughs and shorter troughs.

attaching a second annular support member to the tubular graft adjacent the first annular support member, the second annular support member comprising a plurality of second spokes coupled by a plurality of second apices to form a second ring,

wherein the second annular support member is attached to the graft material to define a circumferential area of the graft material around the second annular support member, and

attaching one of the longer troughs of the first support member to the graft material within the circumferential area of the second support member.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the plurality of second apices of the second annular support member comprise alternating second crests and second troughs and wherein the second crests comprise a plurality of alternating longer crests and shorter crests, further comprising the steps of:

attaching the longer troughs of the first annular support member substantially in longitudinal alignment with the shorter crests of the second annular support member; and

attaching the shorter troughs of the first annular support member in substantially longitudinally aligned with the longer crests of the second annular support member.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the steps of:

attaching the first annular support member to the graft material to define a circumferential area of the graft material around the first annular support member;

attaching the longer crests of the of the second support member within the circumferential area of graft material around the first annular support member; and

attaching the longer troughs of the first support member within the circumferential area of graft material around the second annular support member.