Assembly for treating blood vessels and a method therefor

• US 5,879,380 A
• Filed: 06/27/1997
• Issued: 03/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LeMaitre Vascular, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Moll, Franciscus Laurens, Kalmann, Menno
• Primary Examiner(s): Isabella, David J.
• Application Number:
  US08/809,630
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 606/194, 606/195, 623/1
• US Class Current: 128/898
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02233 Occluders specially adapted therefor tourniquets A61B17/132
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/06 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/064 with special features to facilitate anastomotic coupling anastomosis of natural blood vessels A61B17/11
• 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 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/072 Encapsulated stents, e.g. wire or whole stent embedded in lining
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching

Abstract

The invention relates to a blood vessel treating assembly including an artificial blood vessel inner layer such as an artificial tunica-intima for replacing a section of blood vessel inner layer previously removed from a blood vessel and/or for covering a predetermined length of a damaged blood vessel inner layer. The artificial blood vessel inner layer is associated with the existing blood vessel in such a way as to substanitially stop any loose parts of the blood vessel from obstructing the stream of blood through the blood vessel. A novel method for introducing the the artificial blood vessel inner layer into the blood vessel is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for replacing a section of blood vessel inner layer comprising the steps of:

forming an incision into the blood vessel;

removing a section of an inner layer of a blood vessel through the incision, wherein the removal creates at least one end flap in a remaining blood vessel inner layer;

providing an artificial blood vessel inner layer comprising a supple tubular section having inner and outer surfaces, at least one end section of said tubular section folded back over said outer surface creating an enclosure, and a stent enclosed within said enclosure;

inserting the stented end of said artificial inner layer into said blood vessel through the incision in the direction of blood flow;

positioning said artificial inner layer within said blood vessel so that said end section enclosing said stent is positioned adjacent said end at a downstream location from said incision flap; and

retaining said end flap between said end section and said blood vessel by expanding said stent.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said providing step comprises providing an artificial blood vessel inner layer having a tubular section comprising a fluoro carbon polymer.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein said providing step comprises providing an artificial blood vessel inner layer having a tubular section that has a length at least as long as said removed section of blood vessel inner layer.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein said providing step comprises providing an artificial blood vessel inner layer having a stent comprising a stainless steel gauze.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein said providing step comprises providing an artificial blood vessel inner layer having a stent comprising a length of memory metal preprogrammed to expand at a determined temperature.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein said providing step comprises providing an artificial inner layer having an enclosure comprising a fluid-tight enclosure.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein said positioning step comprises positioning said artificial inner layer using a catheter.

8. A method as in claim 7, wherein said catheter comprises a guide wire and a sheath.

9. A method as in claim 7, wherein said catheter comprises a blood vessel widener.

10. A method as in claim 9, wherein said widener comprises a cone-shaped element operably attached to a distal end of said catheter.

11. A method as in claim 9, wherein said widener comprises an inflatable balloon operably attached to a distal end of said catheter.

12. A method as in claim 9, wherein said widener is wider than said end section during said inserting step and narrower than said end section after said retaining step due to said stent enclosed within said end section expanding during said expanding step.

13. A method as in claim 9, wherein said widener has substantially the same diameter as an internal diameter of said blood vessel.

14. A method as in claim 9, wherein said retaining step comprises using said widener to widen said stent in order to press said end section against said end flap.

15. A method as in claim 1, wherein said retaining step comprises retaining said end flap by expanding said stent so that an outer diameter of said tubular section is approximately equal to an inner diameter of said blood vessel.

16. A method as in claim 1, wherein the providing step comprises providing an artificial blood vessel inner layer further comprising two end sections creating two enclosures and two stents enclosed within said enclosures.

17. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of stitching one end section to said blood vessel.

18. A method as in claim 9, further comprising the step of bunging the blood vessel.

19. A method as in claim 18 wherein said bunging step comprises bunging said blood vessel using said widener.

20. A method as in claim 9, further comprising the step of exerting pressure outwardly on said stent with said widener during a withdrawal of said catheter from said blood vessel.