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Tubular prostheses for vascular reconstructive surgery and process for preparing same

  • US 4,990,131 A
  • Filed: 11/09/1989
  • Issued: 02/05/1991
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1987
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A process for producing a tubular prosthesis for vascular reconstructive surgery from a selected blood vessel of a human umbilical cord, wherein said umbilical cord comprises blood vessels and umbilical cord tissue, said blood vessels comprising a vein and two arteries, comprising the steps of:

  • a. cleansing the umbilical cord;

    b. separating the two arteries and vein from the umbilical cord tissue and from one another;

    c. removing umbilical cord tissue from the outer surface of said selected blood vessel;

    d. establishing and maintaining a minimum bore dimension of said selected blood vessel by inserting within the bore of said selected blood vessel a mandrel having an outer diameter essentially equal to said minimum bore dimension of said selected blood vessel, said selected blood vessel being open at least at one end;

    e. treating said selected blood vessel by applying tanning agent under cyclic pressure to the outer surface of said selected blood vessel such that said selected blood vessel contracts down to said outer diameter of said mandrel;

    f. inserting a hollow cannula having radially directed perforations within the bore of said selected blood vessel;

    g. placing said blood vessel and cannula of step d. in a chamber of predetermined inner diameter; and

    h. treating said selected blood vessel by applying tanning agent within said chamber under cyclic pressure axially into said cannula, whereby said tanning agent exits via the radially directed perforations of said cannula against the inner bore surface of said selected blood vessel and whereby said selected blood vessel is tanned by said tanning agent but is prevented from expanding outwardly beyond said predetermined inner diameter of said chamber.

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