BIFURCATED HIGHLY CONFORMABLE MEDICAL DEVICE BRANCH ACCESS

• US 20110087318A1
• Filed: 06/18/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates (W.L. Gore & Associates)
• Original Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates (W.L. Gore & Associates)
• Inventors: DAUGHERTY, JOHN R., Hagaman, Logan R., Kovach, Larry J.
• Application Number:
  US12/818,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20110087318A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/852 Two or more distinct overlapping stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/856 Single tubular stent with a side portal passage
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/88 the wire-like elements formed as helical or spiral coils forming a net-like or mesh-like structure A61F2/90
• 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 2/954 for placing stents or stent-grafts in a bifurcation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/061 provided with means for allowing access to secondary lumens
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/067 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• 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 2220/005 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/001 Figure-8-shaped, e.g. hourglass-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2240/001 Designing or manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1056 Perforating lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49885 with coating before or during assembling

Abstract

The present invention comprises a highly conformable stent graft with an optional portal for a side branch device. Said stent graft comprises a graft being supported by a stent, wherein said stent comprises undulations each which comprise apices in opposing first and second directions and a tape member attached to said stent and to said graft such that the tape member edge is aligned to the edge of the apices in the first direction of the each of the undulations, thus confining the apices in the first direction of the undulations to the graft and wherein the apices in the second direction of the undulation are not confined relative to the graft; wherein said graft forms unidirectional pleats where longitudinally compressed and wherein said apices in the first direction of said undulation is positioned under an adjacent pleat when compressed. The invention also discloses and claims methods of making and using said highly conformable stent graft and method of making the optional portal.

Claims

1. A stent graft comprising:

a graft being supported by a stent, wherein said stent comprises undulations each which comprise apices in opposing first and second directions; and

a tape member, comprising first and second longitudinal edges, attached to said stent and to said graft such that the first tape edge substantially covers the apices in the first or second direction of the each of the undulations, thus confining the apices in the first or second direction of the undulations to the graft and wherein the apices in the first or second direction of the undulation are not confined relative to the graft;

wherein said graft forms circumferentially oriented unidirectional pleats when longitudinally compressed and said apices in the first or second direction of said undulation are positioned under an adjacent pleat when compressed.

2. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein said apices in the first direction are confined to the graft and the apices in the second direction are not confined relative to the graft.

3. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein said apices in the second direction are confined to the graft and the apices in the first direction are not confined relative to the graft.

4. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein said stent is formed from a single continuous wire helically wrapped around said graft.

5. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein said stent is a self-expanding stent.

6. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein said stent is made from Nitinol.

7. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein said stent is a balloon expandable stent.

8. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein said undulations have a sinusoidal shape.

9. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein said unidirectional pleats are formed in-vivo after deployment.

10. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein said graft comprises polytetrafluoroethylene.

11. The stent graft of claim 10, wherein said polytetrafluoroethylene is expanded.

12. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein said tape member comprises polytetrafluoroethylene.

13. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein said tape member further comprises a thermoplastic adhesive.

14. The stent graft of claim 13, wherein said thermoplastic adhesive is FEP.

15. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein said stent graft comprises at least one sealing cuff.

16. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein said stent graft comprises at least one radiopaque marker.

17. The stent graft of claim 1, wherein said stent graft can bend to at least 90°

without kinking in-vivo when deployed.

18. The stent graft of claim 17, wherein said stent graft is placed into a body lumen with blood flow direction going with the pleats to minimize flow disruption and turbulence.