Device and Method for Controlling the Positioning of a Stent Graft Fenestration

• US 20070244547A1
• Filed: 04/18/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Greenan, Trevor
• Application Number:
  US11/379,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20070244547A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.350
• 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 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable

Abstract

A device and method for controlling the positioning of one or more flexible stent graft fenestrations are disclosed. The stent graft may be for repair of an aneurysm proximate a branch vessel. The stent graft includes a primary graft having an anchoring device, a graft material forming a central lumen and at least one flexible fenestration in a side wall thereof. A fenestration positioning member extends within the stent graft central lumen and has a distal end removably attached to the stent graft proximate the at least one flexible fenestration. The fenestration positioning member may include a tubular member having a wire extending there through, wherein a sidewall of the tubular member includes an aperture through which a loop of the wire extends and removably attaches to the fenestration. Alternatively, the fenestration positioning member may include a tubular member having a suture extending there through, wherein a loop of the suture distally extends from a distal end of the tubular member and is removably attached to the fenestration. The stent graft may include one or more flexible fenestrations, each fenestration having a fenestration positioning member removably attached thereto.

Claims

1. A stent graft for repair of an aneurysm proximate a branch vessel, the stent graft comprising:

a primary graft having an anchoring device, a graft material forming a central lumen and at least one flexible fenestration in a side wall of the graft material; and

a fenestration positioning member extended within the central lumen, the fenestration positioning member having a distal end removably attached to the stent graft proximate the at least one flexible fenestration.

2. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein the fenestration positioning member is comprised of a tubular member having a wire extending there through.

3. The stent graft of claim 2, wherein a sidewall of the tubular member includes an aperture through which a loop of the wire extends and removably attaches to the fenestration.

4. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein the fenestration positioning member is comprised of a tubular member having a suture extending there through.

5. The stent graft of claim 4, wherein a loop of the suture distally extends from a distal end of the tubular member and is removably attached to the fenestration.

6. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein the flexible fenestration includes a branch graft connector portion for guiding and receiving a branch graft there through.

7. The stent graft of claim 6, wherein the branch graft connector portion extends from the fenestration to an exterior of the primary graft.

8. The stent graft of claim 7, wherein the fenestration positioning member is removably attached to the branch graft connector portion of the fenestration.

9. The stent graft of claim 6, wherein the branch graft connector portion extends from the fenestration within the central lumen of the primary graft.

10. The stent graft of claim 9, wherein the fenestration positioning member is removably attached to the branch graft connector portion of the fenestration.

11. A stent graft for repair of an aneurysm proximate a branch vessel, the stent graft comprising:

a primary graft including an anchoring device, a graft material defining a central lumen and having at least one flexible branch graft fenestration integral with a side wall of the graft material, wherein the branch graft fenestration defines a branch lumen in fluid communication with the central lumen of the primary graft; and

a fenestration positioning member extended within the central lumen, the fenestration positioning member having a distal end removably attached to the flexible branch graft fenestration.

12. The stent graft of claim 11, wherein the branch graft fenestration is compressible along a longitudinal axis.

13. The stent graft of claim 12, wherein the graft material forming the flexible branch graft fenestration includes pleats for flexing and articulating the branch graft fenestration relative to the longitudinal axis.

14. The stent graft of claim 13, wherein the pleats of the branch graft fenestration are cylindrically shaped and uniform.

15. The stent graft of claim 13, wherein the pleats of the branch graft fenestration are cylindrically shaped and diminish in diameter from a branch lumen inlet to a branch lumen outlet.

16. The stent graft of claim 11, wherein the flexible branch graft fenestration is formed from the primary stent graft material to be integral therewith.

17. The stent graft of claim 11, wherein the flexible branch graft fenestration is integrally coupled to the primary stent graft material.

18. A method of positioning a stent graft fenestration with respect to a branch vessel, the method comprising:

providing a stent graft having at least one fenestration and an integrated fenestration positioning member removably attached proximate the fenestration;

advancing the stent graft to a treatment site within a main vessel proximate the branch vessel;

releasing at least a portion of the stent graft to allow expansion of the stent graft fenestration and to provide access to the fenestration positioning member;

advancing a catheter over the fenestration positioning member into engagement with the fenestration;

using the catheter to manipulate the fenestration into alignment with an ostium of the branch vessel; and

releasing an anchoring device of the stent graft to fix the position of the fenestration with respect to the ostium of the branch vessel.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the stent graft includes two fenestrations, each fenestration having a fenestration positioning member removably attached thereto.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of advancing a catheter includes advancing a catheter over each of the fenestration positioning member into engagement with the respective fenestration.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

using the catheters to deliver guidewires through the fenestrations into the branch vessels.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

removing the fenestration positioning members and the catheters.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

using the guidewires to position branch grafts into the branch vessels, wherein branch lumens of the branch grafts are in fluid communication with a central lumen of the stent graft.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

using the catheter to deliver a guidewire through the fenestration into the branch vessel.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

removing the fenestration positioning member and the catheter.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

using the guidewire to position a branch graft into the branch vessel, wherein a branch lumen of the branch graft is in fluid communication with a central lumen of the stent graft.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the fenestration is comprised of a flexible branch graft fenestration and wherein the fenestration positioning member is removably attached to the branch graft fenestration.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

using the catheter for manipulating the flexible branch graft fenestration into alignment with the branch vessel.