Endovascular Implant Having an Integral Graft Component and Method of Manufacture
First Claim
1. A stent-graft for placement within a body vessel comprising:
- a tubular stent structure having a thin membrane-like structure covering spaces within the tubular stent structure and defining at least a portion of a blood flow lumen that extends longitudinally through the tubular stent structure, wherein the tubular stent structure and the thin membrane-like structure are a one-piece component of a polymeric material.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A covered stent including an endovascular implant having a polymeric stent structure with an integrally formed membrane-like graft component, also referred to as a stent-graft, and methods of manufacturing the one-piece stent-graft by an injection molding process. A molding system for creating the polymeric stent structure is injected with a melt stream of moldable material that is forced between a parting line of the molding system to create a thin, flexible membrane-like structure within the open areas or interstitial spaces of the molded stent structure. The stent-graft so created is a one-piece, unified structure molded from a polymeric material in a single manufacturing step.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A stent-graft for placement within a body vessel comprising:
a tubular stent structure having a thin membrane-like structure covering spaces within the tubular stent structure and defining at least a portion of a blood flow lumen that extends longitudinally through the tubular stent structure, wherein the tubular stent structure and the thin membrane-like structure are a one-piece component of a polymeric material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of manufacturing a one-piece stent-graft comprising:
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injecting a melt stream of moldable polymeric material into a mold cavity of a molding system, wherein the mold cavity forms a tubular stent framework having interstitial spaces; filling the mold cavity with the melt until the mold cavity overflows and the melt flows between parting surfaces of the molding system; and allowing the melt to cover the parting surfaces such that a molded tubular stent framework formed thereby has an integral thin membrane-like structure formed within the interstitial spaces thereof by the melt which has flowed between the parting surfaces. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification