Multicapsule intraluminal grafting system and method

• US 5,749,920 A
• Filed: 11/22/1995
• Issued: 05/12/1998
• 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: Piplani, Alec A., Quiachon, Dinah B., Baughman, Larry G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Milano, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US08/562,351
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1, 623/12, 606/191-195, 606/198, 604/96, 604/97, 604/104
• US Class Current: 623/1.23
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/11 for performing anastomosis; Buttons for anastomosis
• 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 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9517 handle assemblies therefor
• 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 2002/9511 the retaining means being filaments or wires
• 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

An intraluminal grafting system having a balloon catheter assembly, a capsule catheter assembly and capsule jacket assembly is used for deploying a graft having attachment means in the vessel of an animal body. The system contains a proximal capsule means and a distal capsule means, wherein the graft is disposed within the two capsule means and a removable sheath covers the graft and capsule means. The graft is comprised of a tubular member having superior and inferior ends, having attachment means with wall engaging members secured thereto. The balloon catheter is disposed within the capsule catheter to provide relative movement between the balloon catheter and the capsule catheter, whereby the graft can be removed from the capsule means. The balloon is inflated to firmly implant the graft and attachment means within the vessel. The graft and attachment means remain in the vessel after the intraluminal grafting system is withdrawn.

Claims

1. A system for placing a graft in a lumen formed by a wall in a body, said system comprising:

a tubular graft having a superior extremity and an inferior extremity, said graft being deformable between a collapsed condition and an expanded condition;

first anchoring means secured to the superior extremity of said graft for attaching the superior extremity of said graft to the lumen wall;

second anchoring means secured to the inferior extremity of said graft for attaching the inferior extremity of said graft to the lumen wall;

said first and second anchoring means each including a plurality of wall engaging members and a continuous wire frame configured to provide a plurality of vees;

a distal capsule assembly for covering said first anchoring means;

a proximal capsule assembly for covering said second anchoring means, wherein at least a portion of said graft between said first and second anchoring means remains uncovered;

placement means for positioning said graft, said distal capsule assembly and said proximal capsule assembly at a desired location in the lumen,

said placement means including means for moving said distal capsule assembly relative to said proximal capsule assembly to uncover said first anchoring means and means for moving said proximal capsule assembly relative to said graft to uncover said second anchoring means;

wherein said placement means includes first catheter means having a balloon secured to a flexible elongate shaft having an inflation lumen in fluid communication with the balloon, the first catheter means being capable of moving the balloon within said graft and into engagement with said first anchoring means and with said second anchoring means;

wherein said distal capsule assembly includes a distal capsule and a proximal cap slidably retained in the distal capsule and secured on the shaft of the first catheter means of said placement means, wherein the shaft extends through the proximal capsule assembly, the proximal cap, and the distal capsule; and

a removable sleeve of a flexible material, said removable sleeve including a main sheath having an expanded diameter configured to extend over said proximal capsule assembly, said graft and at least a portion of said distal capsule assembly, wherein a smooth transition is provided between said distal capsule assembly and said proximal capsule assembly.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said placement means includes means for moving said proximal capsule assembly to uncover said second anchoring means before said distal capsule assembly is moved to uncover said first anchoring means.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said removable sleeve further comprising means for securing said removable sleeve to said placement means and for manipulating said removable sleeve to uncover said distal capsule assembly and to uncover said proximal capsule assembly.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the placement means further comprises a control wire having a proximal end and a distal end secured to the distal capsule, the shaft of the first catheter means of said placement means being provided with a control wire lumen for slidably retaining the control wire, whereby the distal capsule moves relative to the shaft by movement of the proximal end of the control wire.

5. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein said placement means further comprises second catheter means including a flexible elongate shaft having a proximal end positioned distal the proximal end of the shaft of said first catheter means and having a distal end secured to the proximal capsule assembly, such that movement of said second catheter means may move said proximal capsule assembly without moving said distal capsule assembly.

6. The system as in recited claim 5, wherein the shaft of the first catheter means of said placement means is coaxially disposed within the shaft of the second catheter means of said placement means, said removable sleeve being coaxially disposed over both the shaft of the first catheter means and the shaft of the second catheter means.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, further comprising a guide wire, wherein the shaft of the first catheter means of said placement means is further provided with a guide wire lumen extending the length of the shaft for retaining said guide wire.