Endoluminal vascular prosthesis

• US 6,508,835 B1
• Filed: 11/28/2000
• Issued: 01/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Endologix
• Original Assignee: Endologix
• Inventors: Zeng, M. Frank, Shaolian, Samuel M.
• Primary Examiner(s): McDermott, Corrine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, Hieu
• Application Number:
  US09/723,979
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.1, 623/1.12, 623/1.13, 623/1.15, 606/194, 606/195, 606/198
• US Class Current: 623/1.35
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/954 for placing stents or stent-grafts in a bifurcation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/065 Y-shaped blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/067 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0008 Fixation appliances for connecting prostheses to the body
• 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

Abstract

Disclosed is a tubular endoluminal vascular prosthesis, useful in treating, for example, an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The prosthesis comprises a self expandable wire support structure surrounded by a flexible tubular membrane. A delivery catheter and methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An endoluminal prosthesis, comprising:

a tubular wire support having a proximal end, a distal end and a central lumen extending therethrough;

the wire support comprising at least a first and a second axially adjacent tubular segments, joined by at least one folded link extending therebetween;

the first tubular segment including two side-by-side legs and a first apex thereon; and

the second tubular segment including a second apex thereon;

wherein the folded link is formed by the first apex folding around the second apex to form a flexible folded link between the first and second tubular segments, the folded link comprising a closing portion for resisting axial compression of the endoluminal prosthesis.

2. An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 1, comprising at least three folded links between the first and second segments.

3. An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 1, wherein the wire in each segment comprises a series of proximal bends, a series of distal bends, creating a series of strut segments connecting the proximal bends and distal bends to form a tubular segment wall.

4. An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 3, wherein each segment comprises from about 4 proximal bends to about 12 proximal bends.

7. An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 1, further comprising a polymeric layer on the wire support.

8. An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 7, wherein the layer comprises a tubular PTFE sleeve surrounding at least a central portion of the prosthesis.

5. An endoluminal prosthesis, comprising:

a tubular wire support having a proximal end, a distal end and a central lumen extending therethrough;

the wire support comprising at least a first and a second axially adjacent tubular segments, joined by at least one folded link extending therebetween;

the first tubular segment including two side-by-side legs and a first apex thereon; and

the second tubular segment including a second apex thereon;

wherein the folded link is formed by the first apex folding around the second apex to form a flexible folded link between the first and second tubular segments and the endoluminal prosthesis having at least a proximal segment, an intermediate segment and a distal segment, wherein the prosthesis is self expandable from a reduced cross-section to an expanded cross-section.

6. An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the proximal segment and distal segment is larger in cross-section than the central segment when the prosthesis is in the expanded cross-section.

9. An endoluminal prosthesis, comprising an elongate flexible wire, formed into a plurality of axially adjacent tubular segments spaced along an axis, each tubular segment comprising a zig zag section of the wire, having a plurality of proximal bends and distal bends, with the wire continuing between each adjacent tubular segment, in which at least two end to end wire segments are joined by a folded link comprising a first bend on a first tubular segment extending through and substantially entrapping a portion of a second tubular segment, wherein the first bend is wrapped around the portion of the second tubular segment to form a functionally closed aperture, in which the portion of the second tubular segment is substantially entrapped within the aperture wherein the prosthesis is radially compressible into a first, reduced cross sectional configuration for implantation into a body lumen, and self expandable to a second, enlarged cross sectional configuration at a treatment site in a body lumen.

10. An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 9, comprising at least three segments formed from said wire.

11. An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 10, further comprising an outer tubular sleeve surrounding at least a portion of the prosthesis.

12. An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 11, wherein the sleeve further comprises at least one lateral perfusion port extending therethrough.

13. An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 9, wherein the prosthesis has a proximal end and a distal end, and at least one of the proximal end and distal end as expandable to a larger diameter than a central section of the prosthesis in an unconstrained expansion.

14. An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 9, wherein the prosthesis has an expansion ratio of at least about 1:

4.

15. An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 14, wherein the prosthesis has an expansion ratio of at least about 1:

5.

16. An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 10, wherein the prosthesis has an expanded diameter of at least about 20 mm-30 mm in an unconstrained expansion, and the prosthesis is implantable using a catheter no greater than about 21 French.

17. An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 9, wherein the prosthesis has an expanded diameter of at least about 25 mm, and is implantable on a delivery device having a diameter of no more than about 21 French.

18. An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 9, comprising at least two axially adjacent segments having an interface therebetween in which distal bends on a proximal segment align with proximal bends on a distal segment, wherein at least 30% of the distal bends in at least one interface are provided with a folded link.

19. An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 18, wherein at least 50% of the distal bends in at least one interface are provided with a folded link.

20. An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 19, wherein all of the distal bends in at least one interface are provided with a folded link.