Expandable intraluminal graft, and method and apparatus for implanting an expandable intraluminal graft
DCFirst Claim
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1. A method for implanting a plurality of prostheses within a body passageway comprising the steps of:
- disposing at least one connector member between adjacent prostheses to flexibly connect adjacent prostheses to each other;
disposing the plurality of connected prostheses upon a catheter;
inserting the prostheses and catheter within the body passageway by catheterization of said body passageway; and
providing controllable expansion of at least one of the prostheses at a desired location within the body passageway by expanding a portion of the catheter associated with the prostheses to force at least one of the prostheses radially outwardly into contact with the body passageway, by deforming a portion of the at least one prosthesis with a force in excess of the elastic limit of the portion of the at least one prosthesis, to implant the prostheses within the body passageway.
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Abstract
A plurality of expandable and deformable intraluminal vascular grafts are expanded within a blood vessel by an angioplasty balloon associated with a catheter to dilate and expand the lumen of a blood vessel. The grafts may be thin-walled tubular members having a plurality of slots disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular members, and adjacent grafts are flexibly connected by at least one connector member.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method for implanting a plurality of prostheses within a body passageway comprising the steps of:
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disposing at least one connector member between adjacent prostheses to flexibly connect adjacent prostheses to each other; disposing the plurality of connected prostheses upon a catheter; inserting the prostheses and catheter within the body passageway by catheterization of said body passageway; and providing controllable expansion of at least one of the prostheses at a desired location within the body passageway by expanding a portion of the catheter associated with the prostheses to force at least one of the prostheses radially outwardly into contact with the body passageway, by deforming a portion of the at least one prosthesis with a force in excess of the elastic limit of the portion of the at least one prosthesis, to implant the prostheses within the body passageway. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for expanding the lumen of a body passageway comprising the steps of:
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connecting a plurality of intraluminal grafts by at least one flexible connector member disposed between adjacent grafts; inserting the plurality of connected intraluminal grafts, disposed upon a catheter, into the body passageway until the grafts are disposed adjacent a desired location within the body passageway; and expanding a portion of the catheter to provide controllable expansion of the intraluminal grafts radially, outwardly into contact with the body passageway, by deforming a portion of the intraluminal grafts with a force in excess of the elastic limit of the portion of the intraluminal grafts, until the lumen of the body passageway at the desired location in the body passageway has been expanded, whereby the intraluminal grafts prevent the body passageway from collapsing and decreasing the size of the expanded lumen, and the intraluminal rafts remain in the passageway. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An expandable intraluminal vascular graft, comprising:
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a plurality of thin-walled tubular members, each having first and second ends and a wall surface disposed between the first and second ends, the wall surface having a substantially uniform thickness and a plurality of slots formed therein, the slots being disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of each tubular member; at least one connector member being disposed between adjacent tubular members to flexibly connect adjacent tubular members; each tubular member having a first diameter which permits intraluminal delivery of the tubular members into a body passageway having a lumen; and the tubular members having a second, expanded and deformed diameter, upon the application from the interior of the tubular members of a radially, outwardly extending force, which second diameter is variable and dependent upon the amount of force applied to the tubular members, whereby the tubular members may be expanded and deformed to expand the lumen of the body passageway. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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29. An expandable prosthesis for a body passageway, comprising:
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a plurality of thin-walled tubular members, each having first and second ends and a wall surface disposed between the first and second ends, the wall surface having a substantially uniform thickness and a plurality of slots formed therein, the slots being disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of each tubular member; at least one connector member being disposed between adjacent tubular members to flexibly connect adjacent tubular members; each tubular member having a first diameter which permits intraluminal delivery of the tubular members into a body passageway having a lumen; and the tubular members having a second, expanded and deformed diameter, upon the application from the interior of the tubular members, of a radially, outwardly extending force, which second diameter is variable and dependent upon the amount of force applied to the tubular member, whereby the tubular member may be expanded and deformed to expand the lumen of the body passageway. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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33. An apparatus for intraluminally reinforcing a body passageway, comprising:
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a plurality of expandable and deformable, thin-walled tubular prostheses, each prosthesis having first and second ends, and a wall surface disposed between the first and second ends, the wall surface having a plurality of slots formed therein, the slots being disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axes of the prostheses, at least one connector member being disposed between adjacent tubular members to flexibly connect adjacent tubular members; and a catheter, having an expandable, inflatable portion associated therewith and including means for mounting and retaining the expandable, thin-walled tubular prostheses on the expandable, inflatable portion, whereby upon inflation of the expandable, inflatable portion of the catheter, the prostheses are expanded and deformed radially outwardly into contact with the body passageway. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. An apparatus for expanding the lumen of a body passageway comprising:
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a plurality of expandable and deformable thin-walled intraluminal vascular grafts, each graft having first and second ends, and a wall surface disposed between the first and second ends, the wall surface having a plurality of slots formed therein, the slots being disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axes of the grafts, at least one connector member being disposed between adjacent tubular members to flexibly connect adjacent tubular members; and a catheter, having an expandable, inflatable portion associated therewith and including means for mounting and retaining the expandable, deformable intraluminal vascular grafts on the expandable, inflatable portion, whereby upon inflation of the expandable, inflatable portion of the catheter, the intraluminal vascular grafts are expanded and deformed radially outwardly into contact with the body passageway. - View Dependent Claims (36)
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Specification