Intraluminal Stent Graft

• US 20100218885A1
• Filed: 05/17/2010
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1993
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates (W.L. Gore & Associates)
• Original Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates (W.L. Gore & Associates)
• Inventors: House, Wayne D., Myers, David J., Lewis, James D.
• Application Number:
  US12/781,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20100218885A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/198
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/072 Encapsulated stents, e.g. wire or whole stent embedded in lining
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0014 using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2240/001 Designing or manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/10 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 27/18 Homopolymers or copolymers or tetrafluoroethene
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1005 by inward collapsing of portion of hollow body
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1033 Flexible sheet to cylinder lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4998 Combined manufacture including applying or shaping of fluent material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49982 Coating

Abstract

A method of making an tubular intraluminal graft in the form of a tubular diametrically adjustable stent having a tubular covering of porous expanded PTFE which is less than 0.10 mm thick. The covering may be on the exterior surface of the stent, or on the interior surface of the stent, or both. The covering may be affixed to the stent by an adhesive which is preferably fluorinated ethylene propylene.

Claims

1. A method of making an intraluminal graft comprising:

a) selecting at least one diametrically adjustable stent having an exterior surface, a luminal surface and a wall, said diametrically adjustable stent having a collapsed diameter and an enlarged diameter wherein said enlarged diameter is at least 1.5 times the collapsed diameter;

b) placing a first covering adjacent to the luminal surface of the stent;

c) placing a second covering adjacent to the exterior surface of the stent;

d) affixing the first covering to the second covering through the wall of the stent; and

e) manipulating the covered diametrically adjustable stent about the collapsed diameter.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the combined thickness of said second covering is less than about 0.10 mm thick.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said polymer covering comprises porous expanded PTFE.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the diametrically adjustable stent has a multiplicity of openings through the wall, and wherein said polymer covering comprises a luminal layer attached to an exterior layer through the openings.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of affixing said polymer covering comprises heating said polymer covering to a temperature adequate to adhere adjacent layers of the polymer covering to each other.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the heating is to a temperature above the crystalline melt point of said polymer covering.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said polymer covering comprises porous expanded PTFE, and the heating is to a temperature of at least 360°

C.

2. A method of making an intraluminal graft comprising:

a) selecting at least one diametrically adjustable stent having an exterior surface, a luminal surface and a wall, said diametrically adjustable stent having a collapsed diameter and an enlarged diameter wherein said enlarged diameter is at least 1.5 times the collapsed diameter;

b) affixing a first covering adjacent to the luminal surface of the stent;

c) affixing a second covering adjacent to the exterior surface of the stent; and

d) manipulating the covered diametrically adjustable stent about the collapsed diameter.