MODULAR VASCULAR PROSTHESIS AND METHODS OF USE

• US 20090005848A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises Limited (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises Limited (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Bialas, Michael R., Barbier, Robert, DeMore, Duane, Strauss, David P., Bregulla, Rainer
• Granted Patent: US 8,025,694 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.200
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/852 Two or more distinct overlapping stents
• 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 2002/30019 differing in mechanical expandability, e.g. in mechanical, self- or balloon expandability
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30428 made by inserting a protrusion into a slot
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30604 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30677 Means for introducing or releasing pharmaceutical products, e.g. antibiotics, into the body
• 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 2002/91541 Adjacent bands are arranged out of phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91566 connected trough to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91591 Locking connectors, e.g. using male-female connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0025 Connections or couplings between prosthetic parts, e.g. between modular parts; Connecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0033 made by longitudinally pushing a protrusion into a complementary-shaped recess, e.g. held by friction fit
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0058 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0048 differing in mechanical expandability, e.g. in mechanical, self- or balloon expandability
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0063 Nested prosthetic parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0067 Means for introducing or releasing pharmaceutical products into the body
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

The present invention relates a vascular prosthesis and related assembly methods that includes a plurality of modular segments inter-engaged by flexible, and preferably lockable, inter-engageable elements forming joints or other connector areas. The segments may have a number of different mechanical properties and may be assembled by the clinician, through mechanical or chemical joining, to customize the prosthesis for a specific patient or application.

Claims

1. A method of assembling a modular prosthesis comprising:

providing one or more interlocking modular segments, wherein each interlocking modular segment has a proximal and a distal end, a plurality of struts and a plurality of bends disposed between the proximal and distal ends, a ring shaped male interface element at the proximal end of the module, and a rounded female interface element at the distal end of the module; and

joining the one or more interlocking modular segments by inserting the ring shaped male interface element at the proximal end of a first interlocking modular segment into the rounded female interface element at the distal end of a second interlocking modular segment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and the second interlocking modular segments fixedly engage one another, thereby causing the interlocking modular segments not to move axially relative to one another.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second interlocking modular segments fixedly engage each other by mechanically interlocking, by bonding or by welding the first and the second interlocking modular segments to one another.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each ring shaped male interface element and/or each rounded female interface element comprises an extension of a corresponding one of the plurality of struts.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing at least two interlocking modular segments having different lengths.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing at least two interlocking modular segments made of different materials.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein one of the different materials is biodegradable.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the different materials possess different mechanical properties.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a plurality of interlocking modular segments in addition to the first and second interlocking modular segments; and

joining the additional interlocking modular segments by inserting the ring shaped male interface element at the proximal end of one or more interlocking modular segments into the rounded female interface element at the distal end of another one or more interlocking modular segments,

thereby causing a plurality of interlocking modular segments to extend from the proximal end of the first interlocking modular segment, and a plurality of interlocking modular segments to extend from the distal end of the second interlocking modular segment.

10. The modular vascular prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the first and the second interlocking modular segments have different strut configurations.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first interlocking modular segment is balloon expandable and the second interlocking modular segment is self-expanding.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second interlocking modular segments comprises a drug-eluting polymeric material.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second interlocking modular segments includes a side-branch aperture.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second interlocking modular segments includes a cover comprising a biocompatible graft material.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of interlocking modular segments extending from the distal end of the first interlocking modular end segment, individual ones of the plurality of interlocking modular segments interleaved with individual ones of the first interlocking modular end segment; and

a plurality of interlocking modular segments extending from the proximal end of the second interlocking modular end segment, individual ones of the plurality of interlocking modular segments interleaved with individual ones of the second interlocking modular end segment.

16. A modular vascular prosthesis comprising:

an interlocking modular segment having a proximal and a distal ends, and a plurality of struts and bends therebetween,

wherein the interlocking modular segment further has a ring shaped male interface element at the proximal end and a rounded female interface element at the distal end.

17. The modular vascular prosthesis of claim 16, further comprising:

a first interlocking modular end segment having a proximal and a distal ends, a plurality of struts and a plurality of bends at the proximal end, and a rounded female interface element at the distal end;

a second interlocking modular end segment having a proximal and distal ends, a plurality of struts and a plurality of bends at the distal end, and a ring shaped male interface element at the proximal end;

wherein the one or more interlocking modular segments are joined to each other by inserting the ring shaped male interface element at the proximal end of a first interlocking modular segment into the rounded female interface element at the distal end of a second interlocking modular segment;

wherein at least one interlocking modular segment is joined to the first interlocking modular end segment by inserting the ring shaped male interface element at the proximal end of the interlocking modular segment to the rounded female interface element at the distal end of the first interlocking modular end segment; and

wherein at least one interlocking modular segment is joined to the second interlocking modular end segment by inserting the ring shaped male interface element at the proximal end of the interlocking modular end segment to the rounded female interface element at the distal end of the interlocking modular segment.

18. The modular vascular prosthesis of claim 17, further comprising at least two interlocking modular segments having different lengths.

19. The modular vascular prosthesis of claim 17, further comprising at least two interlocking modular segments made of different materials.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein one of the different materials is biodegradable.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the different materials possess different mechanical properties.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of struts and bends has an angled branch configuration.

23. A method for assembling a vascular prosthesis comprising:

providing at least a first modular segment and a second modular segment wherein each modular segment has a proximal and a distal end,

wherein each modular segment further has a plurality of struts and a plurality of bends,

wherein the first modular segment has at least one welding zone comprising a rounded protrusion formed on at least one selected bend,

wherein the second modular segment has at least one welding zone comprising tongs formed on at least one selected bend, and

welding the at least one welding zone of the first modular segment to the at least one welding zone of the second modular segment to form at least one connector area where the first modular segment and the second modular inter-engage.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

forming a welding zone at every third bend of the first modular segment and forming a welding zone at every third bend of the second modular segment; and

welding the welding zone at every third bend of the first modular segment to the welding zone at every third bend of the second modular segment to form a connector area where every third bend of each of the first modular segment and the second modular segment inter-engage.

25. The method of claim 23,

wherein the first modular segment further comprises at least one welding zone comprising tongs formed on at least one selected bend, and

wherein the second modular segment further has at least one welding zone comprising a rounded protrusion formed on at least one selected bend.

26. A vascular prosthesis comprising:

a first modular segment having a proximal and a distal ends, and a plurality of struts and bends therebetween,

wherein the modular segment has at least one rounded protrusion formed on at least one selected bend, and tongs formed on at least one selected bend.

27. The vascular prosthesis of claim 26, wherein the plurality of struts are disposed in an angled branch configuration.

28. The vascular prosthesis of claim 26, further comprising a second modular segment,

wherein a rounded protrusion in the second modular segment is configured to engage the tongs in the first modular segment, and

wherein the rounded protrusion in the second modular segment is welded to the tongs in the first modular segment.

29. The vascular prosthesis of claim 28, wherein the first and the second modular segments have different lengths.

30. The vascular prosthesis of claim 28, wherein the first and the second modular segments are made of different materials.

31. The vascular prosthesis of claim 28, wherein the first and the second modular segments possess different mechanical properties.