Limited expansion endoluminal prostheses and methods for their use

• US 6,176,875 B1
• Filed: 02/25/1998
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Ave Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Evans, Michael A., Lenker, Jay A., Cox, Brian J., Weinberg, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Willse, David H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jackson, Suzette J.
• Application Number:
  US09/030,719
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.49, 623/1.51, 623/1.15, 623/1.54, 623/1.53, 606/198
• US Class Current: 623/1.49
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/844 folded prior to deployment
• 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 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/005 using adhesives
• 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 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0071 breakable or frangible

Abstract

The present invention provides controlled expansion endoluminal prostheses and methods for their deployment and expansion. The present stent-grafts generally comprise a radially expansible tubular frame and a plastically expansible liner on the frame. Either the frame or the liner includes a reinforcing element which limits expansion of the stent-graft at a predetermined expanded size. In some embodiments, the reinforcing element restrains the frame, for example, by limiting the circumferential diagonals of perforations on a perforate frame structure. Generally, however, the reinforcing element is included in the liner as circumferentially oriented yarn. A particularly advantageous liner includes composite circumferential yarns having inexpansible fibers wrapped around an expansible fiber, such as a partially oriented yarn, PTFE, or the like.

Claims

1. A limited expansion graft comprising a fabric including composite yarns having serpentine inexpansible fiber and expansible fiber so that the inexpansible fiber straightens during expansion of the graft to prevent expansion of the fabric beyond a predetermined limit.

2. A graft fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fabric forms a tube, and wherein the composite yarns are substantially circumferentially oriented.

3. A graft fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inexpansible fiber comprises fully drawn polyester.

4. A graft fabric as claimed in claim 3, wherein the expansible fiber comprises a partially oriented polyester over which the fully drawn polyester is wound.

5. An expansible graft comprising a fabric tube which defines an axial direction and a circumferential direction, the fabric tube including fully oriented polyester yarn oriented in the circumferential direction, wherein the fully oriented polyester yarn has been heat treated to facilitate in situ expansion of the graft.

6. An expansible graft as claimed in claim 5, wherein the fabric comprises a woven material, and wherein the heat treated yarn has been annealed at a temperature between about 150°

C. and 260°

C.

7. An expansible graft as claimed in claim 5, wherein the graft is expansible by an amount in the range between 25% and 60%.

8. An expansible graft comprising a fabric tube which defines an axial direction and a circumferential direction, the fabric tube including fully oriented polyester yarn oriented in the circumferential direction, wherein the fully oriented polyester yarn has been texturized by twisting the yarn and heat setting the twisted yarn to promote in situ expansion of the graft.

9. An expansible graft as claimed in claim 8, wherein the graft is expansible by up to 20%.