Endovascular grafting system and method for use therewith

• US 5,669,936 A
• Filed: 02/27/1995
• Issued: 09/23/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lifeport Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EndoVascular Technologies Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Lazarus, Harrison M.
• Primary Examiner(s): BRITTINGHAM, DEBRA
• Application Number:
  US08/395,157
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1, 623/11, 623/12, 604/96, 606/191-198
• US Class Current: 623/1.23
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/11 for performing anastomosis; Buttons for anastomosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/04 Hollow or tubular parts of organs, e.g. bladders, tracheae, bronchi or bile ducts A61F2/18, A61F2/20 take precedence; devices, other than stent-grafts, providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body other than stent-grafts, e.g. stents A61F2/82; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/848 having means for fixation to the vessel wall, e.g. barbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/89 the wire-like elements comprising two or more adjacent rings flexibly connected by separate members
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3008 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30451 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/8486 provided on at least one of the ends
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0058 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1068 having means for varying the length or diameter of the deployed balloon, this variations could be caused by excess pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10 Balloon catheters A61M25/0125 takes precedence; embolectomy A61B17/22032; retractors A61B17/02; inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts A61F2/958 ; stomach balloons for treatment of obesity A61F5/0003; oesophagal tubes A61J15/00

Abstract

Endovascular grafting system having a capsule catheter comprising a flexible elongate tubular member having proximal and distal extremities and a capsule mounted on the distal extremity of the tubular member. The capsule is generally cylindrical in shape and is formed of a helical wrap of a metal ribbon. The wraps are bonded into a unitary capsule permitting bending of said unitary capsule. A graft is disposed within the capsule. The graft is comprised of a tubular member having proximal and distal ends. Hooks are secured to the proximal and distal ends of the tubular member and face in a direction outwardly towards the inner wall of the capsule. A push rod is disposed within the capsule catheter and engages the graft whereby upon relative movement between the push rod and the capsule catheter, the graft can be forced out of the capsule.

Claims

1. An endovascular grafting system for intraluminal emplacement of a prosthesis in a corporeal lumen, comprising:

a prosthesis configured to repair the corporeal lumen; and

a catheter having an inflatable portion, said catheter being operatively associated with said prosthesis for intraluminally deploying said prosthesis within the corporeal lumen, said inflatable portion configured to engage said prosthesis to implant said prosthesis within the corporeal lumen so that said prosthesis repairs the corporeal lumen.

2. The medical system of claim 1, further comprising means in operative relationship with said prosthesis and said catheter for fastening said prosthesis within a corporeal lumen.

3. The medical system of claim 2, wherein said prosthesis is a hollow graft capable of being fastened in an aorta by said means for fastening to intraluminally repair the aorta.

4. The medical system of claim 1, wherein said prosthesis comprises a hollow tubular graft having a proximal portion and having means proximate to said proximal portion for fastening said proximal portion within a corporeal lumen.

5. The medical system of claim 4, wherein said means for fastening comprises an intraluminal fastening device connected to said proximal portion, said fastening device having a plurality of staples capable of engaging a corporeal lumen in which said prosthesis is emplaced to fasten said prosthesis therein.

6. The medical system of claim 5, further comprising an inflation device, wherein said inflatable portion can be inflated by said inflation device to cause said staples to engage the lumen, and can be deflated by said inflation device to disassociate said catheter from the fastened said prosthesis.

7. An endovascular grafting system for intraluminal emplacement of a prosthesis in a corporeal lumen, comprising:

a prosthesis configured to repair the corporeal lumen, said prosthesis having a collapsed condition for intraluminal delivery and an expanded condition for prosthetic use; and

a catheter having an inflatable portion, said catheter being operatively associated with said prosthesis, wherein said catheter is configured to carry said prosthesis in said collapsed condition to a desired position within the lumen and said inflatable portion is configured to engage said prosthesis and to expand said prosthesis to said expanded condition in order to implant said prosthesis within the corporeal lumen so that said prosthesis repairs the corporeal lumen.

8. The medical system of claim 7, further comprising an intraluminal fastening device in operative relationship with said prosthesis and said catheter.

9. The medical system of claim 8, wherein:

said prosthesis comprises a flexible, hollow graft having a tubular shape;

said graft has a proximal end portion for placement upstream in a fluid conducting corporeal lumen; and

said fastening device is positioned proximate said proximal end portion,

wherein said catheter is capable of emplacing said graft at a desired position in a damaged or diseased fluid conducting corporeal lumen to repair or reinforce the corporeal lumen.

10. The medical system of claim 9, wherein said fastening device comprises staples capable of engaging an inner wall of a corporeal lumen into which said graft is emplaced, and said graft is made of a deformable material having a high tissue ingrowth rate, said graft being deformable both axially and radially and capable of substantially conforming to an interior shape of a corporeal lumen into which said graft is emplaced.

11. An endovascular grafting system for intraluminal emplacement of a prosthesis in a corporeal lumen, comprising:

a prosthesis configured to repair the corporeal lumen, said prosthesis having a collapsed condition for intraluminal delivery and an expanded condition for prosthetic use; and

a catheter having an inflatable portion with said prosthesis disposed thereon, said inflatable portion being selectively inflatable to engage said prosthesis and to expand said prosthesis from said collapsed condition to said expanded condition in order to implant said prosthesis within the corporeal lumen so that said prosthesis repairs the corporeal lumen.

12. The medical system of claim 11, further comprising an intraluminal fastening device in operative relationship with said prosthesis and said catheter, and inflation means for inflating and deflating said inflatable portion.

13. The medical system of claim 12, wherein said prosthesis is an elongated, hollow graft having a first end portion, and said fastening device is in operative relationship with said first end portion such that said inflatable portion can be inflated by said inflation means to operate said fastening device to fasten said graft within a corporeal lumen.

14. The medical system of claim 13, wherein said fastening device comprises staples connected to said first end portion, said staples being capable of engaging an inner wall of a corporeal lumen.

15. An endovascular grafting system for intraluminal emplacement of a prosthesis in a corporeal lumen, comprising:

an elongated tubular prosthesis having opposite end portions in fluid communication with one another for use in repairing an aortic aneurysm, said prosthesis having a collapsed condition for intraluminal delivery and an expanded condition for prosthetic use; and

a catheter having an inflatable portion, said catheter being operatively associated with said prosthesis, said inflatable portion being inflatable to engage said prosthesis and to expand said prosthesis from said collapsed condition to said expanded condition to thereby implant said prosthesis within the corporeal lumen so that said prosthesis repairs the corporeal lumen, said inflatable portion being deflatable to enable disassociation of said catheter from said prosthesis.

16. The medical system of claim 15, further comprising an intraluminal fastening device at one end portion of said prosthesis.

17. The medical system of claim 16, wherein said inflatable portion can inflate to cause said fastening device to fasten said one end portion within a lumen, and can deflate to disassociate said catheter from said prosthesis.

18. The medical system of claim 16, wherein said fastening device comprises a plurality of staples.

19. A method for intraluminal emplacement of a prosthesis in a corporeal lumen, comprising the step of:

intraluminally emplacing a prosthesis configured to repair the corporeal lumen in the corporeal lumen using a catheter having an inflatable portion, said inflatable portion engaging and expanding said prosthesis during said emplacing step to thereby implant said prosthesis in the corporeal lumen so that said prosthesis repair the corporeal lumen, said prosthesis being disassociated from said catheter and inflatable portion after said emplacing step.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said prosthesis has a collapsed condition and an expanded condition, and said emplacing step includes the steps of:

making an opening in said corporeal lumen;

inserting said prosthesis in said collapsed condition and said inflatable portion of said catheter into said lumen through said opening to a desired position in said lumen;

inflating said inflatable portion to expand said prosthesis to said expanded condition; and

deflating said inflatable portion to disassociate said catheter from said prosthesis.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said prosthesis is a hollow tubular graft having first and second end portions in fluid communication, said first end portion having an intraluminal fastening device in operative association therewith;

wherein said first end portion of said graft is emplaced upstream in said lumen, and said inflation step causes said fastening device to fasten said first end portion within said lumen.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said fastening device comprises staples connected to said first end portion of said graft, wherein said inflatable portion is inflated in said fastening device to force said staples to penetrate said lumen.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said graft is positioned to span an aortic aneurysm to repair or reinforce a length of said aneurysm, said graft being selected to have a length equal to or greater than the length of said aortic aneurysm.

24. A method for intraluminally implanting a prosthesis at a desired location within a corporeal lumen comprising the steps of:

disposing a prosthesis configured to repair the corporeal lumen upon a catheter;

intraluminally inserting said prosthesis and catheter within a corporeal lumen;

delivering said catheter and prosthesis through the corporeal lumen to a desired location in the corporeal lumen without surgically exposing the desired location of the corporeal lumen; and

providing controllable expansion of said prosthesis at the desired location within the corporeal lumen by expanding an inflatable portion of said catheter associated with said prosthesis to engage said prosthesis and force said prosthesis radially outwardly to implant said prosthesis within the corporeal lumen to configure said prosthesis so that the corporeal lumen is repaired.