Bifurcated vascular graft deployment device

• US 6,210,422 B1
• Filed: 02/16/2000
• Issued: 04/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Endologix
• Original Assignee: Endologix
• Inventors: Douglas, Myles S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRINH, HOA B
• Application Number:
  US09/505,038
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 606/194, 606/198, 606/191, 606/195, 623/1.11, 623/1.12, 623/1.13
• US Class Current: 606/194
• 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 2/954 for placing stents or stent-grafts in a bifurcation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/065 Y-shaped blood vessels
• 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 2230/0067 conical

Abstract

A structurally supported bifurcated vascular graft is described having a hollow cylindrical body graft with a top end and bottom end and two hollow cylindrical limb grafts which are attached to the hollow cylindrical body graft near the top end of the body graft. One or more structural supports or stents are attached to either the interior or exterior of the body graft and limb grafts. Further, an apparatus and method for delivering a one-piece bifurcated vascular graft is also described which includes first and second hollow limb tubes for containing the limbs of a bifurcated graft, a third hollow body tube for containing the body of a graft, and a hollow delivery tube capable of encompassing the limb tubes and graft body tube.

Claims

1. A deployment apparatus for deploying a bifurcated graft having a main graft body which bifurcates into first and second limbs, the deployment apparatus comprising first and second tubes for constraining the first and second limbs, respectively, and a third tube for constraining the main graft body, wherein said first, second and third tubes are assembled in a Y shape.