Endoluminal encapsulated stent and methods of manufacture and endoluminal delivery

• US 6,004,348 A
• Filed: 04/27/1998
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IMPRA Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: IMPRA Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Dalessandro, David, Banas, Christopher E., Edwin, Tarun J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dawson, Glenn K.
• Application Number:
  US09/067,158
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1, 623/11, 623/12, 606/1, 606/108, 606/191-200
• US Class Current: 623/23.7
• 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 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

An radially expandable stent-graft and method of making the same, including at least one a stent member encapsulated between at least two longitudinally expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) coverings. The at least one stent member has openings through wall surfaces of the stent to permit radial expansion. The at least two longitudinally expanded ePTFE coverings are circumferentially applied over the at least one stent member in their unsintered state, and sintered during application of a circumferential pressure to bond the ePTFE around and through the wall surfaces of the stent. The sintered ePTFE forms a substantially continuous, monolithic and integral encapsulation of the at least one stent. Upon radial expansion of the stent-graft, the stent and the ePTFE node-fibril microstructure radially deform. Radial deformation of the ePTFE encapsulation results in nodal elongation in the axis of radial expansion. After radial expansion of the stent-graft, a substantial bonded area remains intact and maintains the encapsulation of the stent in vivo.

Claims

1. A radially expandable reinforced vascular graft comprising:

a plurality of tubular radially expandable support members, each of the plurality of tubular radially expandable support members having a plurality of openings passing through walls of the support member, positioned end-to-end in a longitudinally extending array with substantially open annular spaces between adjacent tubular support members;

first and second expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tubular members circumferentially surrounding and at least substantially enclosing the tubular radially expandable support members on luminal and abluminal surfaces thereof and passing into and through the plurality of openings passing through the walls of the support members, the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tubular member being radially expandable with the support members to an expanded diameter; and

at least one of said first and said second expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft members further comprising at least one reinforcing member extending along a substantial longitudinal extent of said at least one first and second expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft member.

2. A radially expandable reinforced vascular graft comprising:

a plurality of radially expandable tubular support members, each having a plurality of openings passing through walls thereof, serially aligned in a longitudinal array with intervening unsupported spaces between adjacent radially expandable tubular support members; and

at least one longitudinally expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tubular member circumferentially surrounding said radially expandable tubular support members on luminal and abluminal surfaces thereof such that the radially expandable tubular support members are interdisposed and circumferentially enclosed over at least a substantial longitudinal extent thereof, the at least one longitudinally expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tubular member passing through the plurality of openings in the walls of the tubular support members and radially expandable subtantially concurrently with the tubular support members.