Graft stent and method of repairing blood vessels
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for repairing a weakened section of a vessel, comprising:
- (a) a tubular graft for lining the interior of the unresected vessel and of a length sufficient to span the weakened section of the vessel;
(b) a pair of generally cylindrical stents expandable from a relaxed, smaller diameter condition to an enlarged, larger diameter condition;
(c) wherein said stents are positioned inside end portions of said graft and separated by a distance greater than the length of the weakened section; and
(d) wherein said stents are expanded from said smaller diameter condition to said larger diameter condition for securing said graft inside the vessel and spanning the weakened section thereof.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for repairing a weakened section of a vessel. A pair of expandable stents are placed at either end inside a prosthetic graft of a length sufficient to span the weakened section. The graft and stents are inserted into the vessel. The stents are positioned on either side of the weakened section and expanded to a stable, increased diameter for securing by friction the graft in situ inside the vessel.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. An apparatus for repairing a weakened section of a vessel, comprising:
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(a) a tubular graft for lining the interior of the unresected vessel and of a length sufficient to span the weakened section of the vessel; (b) a pair of generally cylindrical stents expandable from a relaxed, smaller diameter condition to an enlarged, larger diameter condition; (c) wherein said stents are positioned inside end portions of said graft and separated by a distance greater than the length of the weakened section; and (d) wherein said stents are expanded from said smaller diameter condition to said larger diameter condition for securing said graft inside the vessel and spanning the weakened section thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for repairing a weakened section of a vessel, comprising the steps of:
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(a) inserting a graft inside the vessel that is of a length to span the weakened section thereof; (b) inserting an expandable stent wholly inside said graft on either side of the weakened section; (c) expanding said stents to a stable, expanded condition for securing said graft to the vessel on either side of the weakened section. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification