Aortic graft and apparatus for repairing an abdominal aortic aneurysm

• US 5,578,072 A
• Filed: 08/01/1994
• Issued: 11/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hector D. Barone, Juan C. Parodi, Julio C. Palmaz
• Original Assignee: Hector D. Barone, Juan C. Parodi, Julio C. Palmaz
• Inventors: Palmaz, Julio C., Parodi, Juan C., Barone, Hector D.
• Primary Examiner(s): BRITTINGHAM, DEBRA
• Application Number:
  US08/283,590
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1, 623/11, 623/12, 606/191-193, 606/194-198, 600/36
• US Class Current: 623/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• 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 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/065 Y-shaped blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0004 bioabsorbable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1002 characterised by balloon shape A61M25/1006, A61M25/1009 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/901 Method of manufacturing prosthetic device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/903 Blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/921 Blood vessel

Abstract

An aortic graft, and method and apparatus for repairing an abdominal aortic aneurysm includes a tubular graft which is intraluminally delivered through the aorta and secured to the aorta by the expansion and deformation of a thin-walled tubular member.

Claims

1. An aortic graft for intraluminal delivery to repair an abdominal aortic aneurysm in an aorta having two iliac arteries associated therewith, comprising:

(a) a tube having first and second ends and a wall surface disposed between the two ends, at least a portion of the tube adapted to be disposed within the abdominal aortic aneurysm;

(b) means for securing the first end of the tube to the aorta, the securing means including a generally tubular shaped, thin-walled member having an interior and first and second ends and a smooth outer wall surface disposed between the first and second ends of the thin-walled member, the first end of the tube being connected to the second end of the thin-walled member, the thin-walled member having a first diameter which permits intraluminal delivery of the thin-walled member into the aorta, the thin-walled member having a second, expanded and deformed diameter, upon application from the interior of the thin-walled member of a radially, outwardly extending force, which force is in excess of the elastic limit of the thin-wall member, which second diameter is variable and dependent upon the force applied to the thin-walled member, whereby the thin-walled member may be expanded and deformed to secure the first end of the thin-walled member and the first end of the tube to the aorta.

2. The aortic graft of claim 1, wherein the thin-walled member has a biologically inert coating on its outer wall surface.

3. The aortic graft of claim 1, wherein the second end of the tube is bifurcated and two tubular passageways are formed which are in fluid communication with the first end of the tube and the two passageways are adapted to be mated with and disposed within two iliac arteries.

4. The aortic graft of claim 3, wherein the two tubular passageways include means for securing the two tubular passageways to the two iliac arteries.

5. The aortic graft of claim 4, wherein the securing means includes a thin-walled member having first and second ends and a smooth outer wall surface disposed between the first and second ends of the thin-walled member, the second end of the tube being secured to the first end of the thin-walled member, the thin-walled member having a first diameter which permits in intraluminal delivery of the thin-walled member into the aorta, the thin-walled member having a second, expanded and deformed diameter, upon the application from the interior of the thin-walled member of a radially, outwardly extending force, which second diameter is variable and dependent upon the amount of force applied to the thin-walled member, whereby the thin-walled member may be expanded and deformed to secure the thin-walled members and the tubular passageways to the two iliac arteries.

6. An apparatus for repairing an abdominal aortic aneurysm in an aorta having two iliac arteries associated therwith, comprising:

(a) a tube having first and second ends and a wall surface disposed between the two ends;

(b) an expandable and deformable thin-walled tubular member, having first and second ends and a smooth outer wall surface disposed between the first and second ends, the first end of the tube being secured to the second end of the tubular member, with the first end of the tubular member being exposed for direct contact with a portion of the aorta and disposed outside the first end of the tube, the expansion and deformation of the thin-walled tubular member being controllable; and

(c) a catheter having an expandable, inflatable portion associated therewith, the thin-walled tubular member being releasably mounted upon the inflatable portion of the catheter, whereby upon inflation of the expandable, inflatable portion of the catheter, a portion of the thin-walled tubular member is forced radially outwardly into contact with a portion of the aorta to remain secured thereto, whereby the tube, secured to the thin-walled tubular member, provides a passageway through the abdominal aortic aneurysm.

7. An aortic graft for intraluminal delivery to repair an abdominal aortic aneurysm in an aorta having two iliac arteries associated therewith, comprising:

(a) a tube having first and second ends and a wall surface disposed between the two ends, at least a portion of the tube adapted to be disposed within the abdominal aortic aneurysm;

the first end of the tube being radially expandable; and

(b) means for securing the first end of the tube to the aorta, the securing means being a generally tubular shaped, deformable member, not having any narrow, outwardly projecting edges and having an interior and first and second ends, the radially expandable first end of the tube being connected to the second end of the deformable member, the deformable member having a first diameter which permits intraluminal delivery of the deformable member into the aorta, the deformable member having a second, expanded and deformed diameter, upon an application from the interior of the deformable member of a radially, outwardly extending force, which force is in excess of the elastic limit of the deformable member, which second diameter is variable and dependent upon the force applied to the deformable member, the radially expandable first end of the tube expanding and conforming to the second variable diameter of the deformable member, whereby the deformable member may be expanded and deformed to secure the first end of the deformable member and the first end of the tube to the aorta.

8. The aortic graft of claim 7, wherein the first end of the tube overlays and covers the second end of the deformable member.

9. The aortic graft of claim 8, wherein the overlap is approximately 50% of the length of the deformable member.

10. The aortic graft of claim 8, wherein the portion of the tube adapted to be disposed within the abdominal aortic aneurysm is substantially non-radially expandable.

11. The aortic graft of claim 7, wherein the second end of the tube is bifurcated and two tubular passageways are formed which are in fluid communication with the first end of the tube, and the two passageways are adapted to be mated with, and disposed within the two iliac arteries.

12. The aortic graft of claim 11, wherein the two tubular passageways include a means for securing the two tubular passageways to the two iliac arteries, the securing means being a deformable member disposed in each tubular passageway, the two tubular passageways, at the second end of the tube, each being radially expandable upon expansion of the deformable member disposed in each tubular passageway.

13. An aortic graft for intraluminal delivery to repair an abdominal aortic aneurysm, for use with at least one radially expandable deformable member to secure the aortic graft to the aorta, comprising:

a tube having first and second ends and an intermediate portion extending between the first and second ends with a wall surface disposed between the two ends, at least a portion of the intermediate portion of the tube adapted to be disposed within the abdominal aortic aneurysm;

the first end of tube being radially expandable to permit the expansion of the radially expandable deformable member within the first end; and

the intermediate portion of the tube adapted to be disposed within the abdominal aortic aneurysm being substantially non-radially expandable.

14. The aortic graft of claim 13, wherein the second end of the tube is bifurcated and two tubular passageways are formed which are in fluid communication with the first end of the tube, each of the tubular passageways being radially expandable to permit the radial expasion of a deformable member disposed therein.

15. The aortic graft of claim 13, wherein the tube is crimped to form an undulating longitudinal cross-sectional configuration, whereby kinking or twisting of the tube is minimized.

16. The aortic graft of claim 13, wherein the tube is made of a woven material and the weave of the material at the first end is looser than the weave of the material of the intermediate portion of the tube to achieve the desired radial expandability of the first end of the tube.