Endoprosthesis having graft member and exposed welded end junctions, method and procedure

• US 5,824,043 A
• Filed: 05/23/1996
• Issued: 10/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cordis Corporation (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cordis Corporation (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cottone, Robert J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SNOW, BRUCE EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US08/652,297
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 29/419.1, 29/DIG. 48, 228/173.5, 623/1, 623/12, 606/108, 606/194, 606/195, 606/198
• US Class Current: 623/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• 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 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/072 Encapsulated stents, e.g. wire or whole stent embedded in lining
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0008 Fixation appliances for connecting prostheses to the body
• 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 2230/0013 Horseshoe-shaped, e.g. crescent-shaped, C-shaped, U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49801 Shaping fiber or fibered material

Abstract

An endoprosthesis is provided which includes a stent component and a graft component capturing a portion of the stent component. The stent component is made of generally malleable material arranged to provide the stent component with a collapsed transluminal positioning configuration and an expanded, deployed configuration. The stent component has adjacent end windings that are welded together. In a preferred arrangement, a plurality of these welds define a spine-like welded arrangement, and a number of these arrangements are positioned generally circumferentially around the ends of the stent component. The graft component extends generally between the welded end portions of the stent component, with limited overlap being possible. Also provided is a method for forming this endoprosthesis and a procedure by which the endoprosthesis is implanted by deployment with a suitable expansion device.

Claims

1. A method for forming an implantable transluminal endoprosthesis, comprising the steps of:

providing an elongated strand of malleable material, forming said strand into a repeating pattern of undulations having repeating bendable connecting portions, wrapping the strand with the repeating pattern of undulations to follow a generally helical axis having a plurality of full circle windings which are substantially continuous with each other along the generally helical axis until the bendable connecting portions of one of the full circle windings are generally adjacent to respective bendable connecting portions of an adjacent full circle winding to define a plurality of adjacent pairs of bendable connecting portions to thereby form a stent component having an interior surface and an exterior surface, said stent component having a central length portion between two end length portions, each said end length portion having a plurality of said full circle windings;

welding together a plurality of said pairs of connecting portions of adjacent said full circle windings of the end length portions to form two welded end lengths; and

positioning a graft component along said interior and exterior surfaces of the stent component, including overlying an inner and outer member of the graft component over less than the entirety of the interior and exterior surfaces, respectively, of the stent component, said positioning step exposing a substantial axially extending length of each of said two welded end length portions of the stent component such that the thus exposed welded end length portions are uncovered by the graft component, and said overlying of the positioning step includes overlying at least one welded full circle winding of both of said welded end lengths.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said step of positioning a graft component includes incorporating a central length of the stent component between the inner and outer members of the graft component and adhering said inner and outer members together.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said positioning step includes overlying not greater than approximately one quarter of the length of each of said two welded end lengths.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said positioning step includes winding a plurality of fibers over said central length portion of the stent component.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said welding step includes fusion welding.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said welding step is carried out with an enclosed atmosphere of inert gas.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said positioning step includes winding a plurality of fibers over a mandrel and positioning thereover said central length portion of the stent component.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said positioning step includes winding a plurality of fibers over a mandrel and positioning thereover said central length portion of the stent component, and said positioning step further includes winding a further plurality of fibers over said central length portion of the stent component.