BIFURCATED GRAFT DEPLOYMENT SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20110224772A1
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Endologix
• Original Assignee: Endologix
• Inventors: Pham, Trinh, Schreck, Stefan G., Mayberry, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 8,357,192 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/856 Single tubular stent with a side portal passage
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/954 for placing stents or stent-grafts in a bifurcation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/97 the outer sleeve being splittable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/065 Y-shaped blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/072 Encapsulated stents, e.g. wire or whole stent embedded in lining
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9511 the retaining means being filaments or wires

Abstract

A method for deploying an endoluminal vascular prosthesis using a deployment catheter that has at least a main graft portion and a first branch graft portion. The deployment catheter preferably comprises an elongate, flexible catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end, and an outer sheath and an inner core that is axially moveable with respect to the outer sheath. The catheter preferably comprises a main graft restraint that has a main graft release mechanism comprising a main graft sheath and a suture threaded through a plurality of the openings in the main graft sheath. The catheter further comprises at least one branch graft restraint comprising at least one branch graft release mechanism.

Claims

1. An endoluminal vascular prosthesis deployment system for deploying an endoluminal vascular prosthesis having at least a main branch and a first branch, comprising:

a flexible catheter body that comprises an outer sheath with a proximal and distal end, an inner core that extends through the outer sheath and is axially moveable with respect to the outer sheath, and a distal tip that is positioned adjacent the distal end of the outer sheath and is coupled to the inner core;

a main branch restraint that comprises a tubular member that surrounds and constrains at least the main branch portion, the tubular member having a first portion adjacent a first end of the tubular member, a second portion adjacent a second end of the tubular member, and an intermediate portion positioned between the first and second portions;

the tubular member comprising a plurality of perforations,

a release wire extending through the plurality of perforations and configured to tear portions of the tubular member of the main branch restraint between the perforations to deploy the main branch portion when the release wire is proximally retracted by releasing at least one of the proximal portion or intermediate portion before the distal portion;

a first branch restraint that comprises a tubular member configured to releasably constrain the first branch portion, the first branch restraint coupled to a first branch release mechanism.

2. The deployment system of claim 1, wherein the release wire is configured to release the proximal portion before the distal portion.

3. The deployment system of claim 2, wherein the release wire is configured to release the distal portion before the intermediate portion.

4. The deployment system of claim 1, wherein the release wire is configured to release the intermediate portion before the distal portion

5. The deployment system of claim 1, further comprising a guidewire lumen extending through the inner core.

6. The deployment system of claim 1, wherein the main branch restraint defines a first end portion and a second end portion, and the release wire is routed through the perforations such that an end of release wire is positioned between the first end portion and the second end portion of the main branch restraint.

7. The deployment system of claim 1, wherein the main branch restraint comprises a score line between at least some of the perforations.

8. The deployment system of claim 1, wherein the main branch restraint comprises a slit between at least some of the perforations.

9. The deployment system of claim 1, wherein the deployment system further comprises a hollow guidewire slidably positioned within the deployment catheter.

10. The deployment system of claim 9, wherein the deployment system further comprises an inner core wire slidably positionable within the hollow guidewire.