Stent graft having an improved means for attaching a stent to a graft

• US 6,656,215 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2000
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Cordis Corporation (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ramer, Marc, Yanez, Andrew, Butaric, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Snow, Bruce
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, CHERYL L
• Application Number:
  US09/714,080
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.13, 623/1.15, 606/75, 606/219, 227/902, 227/15, 227/16
• US Class Current: 623/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0682 for applying U-shaped staples or clamps, e.g. without a forming anvil
• 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 2/848 having means for fixation to the vessel wall, e.g. barbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/88 the wire-like elements formed as helical or spiral coils forming a net-like or mesh-like structure A61F2/90
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• 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 2002/067 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/825 having longitudinal struts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/005 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0066 stapled
• 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 2230/0008 elliptical or oval
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/001 Figure-8-shaped, e.g. hourglass-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0013 Horseshoe-shaped, e.g. crescent-shaped, C-shaped, U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/005 : Rosette-shaped, e.g. star-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/006 : modular

Abstract

A stent-graft for insertion into a body lumen, such as a blood vessel, is utilized in order to repair such lumen. The stent-graft includes a substantially cylindrical hollow expandable stent comprising a plurality of interconnected struts. The stent has a distal end and a proximal end, and an interior surface and an exterior surface. At least one strut of the stent has first and second apertures extending therethrough from the interior surface to the exterior surface. The stent-graft also includes a graft member covering a predetermined portion of least one of the interior surface and the exterior surface of the stent. In addition, the stent-graft further includes a staple for attaching the graft member to the stent. The staple has a crown and two legs extending therefrom. At least one of the legs of the staple extends through the graft material and through the first aperture. Both of the legs are bent inwardly towards said crown such that they evert back and extend through the second aperture.

Claims

1. A stent-graft for insertion into a body lumen in order to repair said lumen, said stent-graft comprising:

a. a substantially cylindrical hollow expandable stent comprising a plurality of interconnected struts, said stent having a distal end and a proximal end, and an interior surface and an exterior surface, at least one strut of said stent having adjacent first and second apertures extending therethrough from said interior surface to said exterior surface;

b. a graft member covering a predetermined portion of least one of said interior surface and said exterior surface; and

c. a staple attaching said graft member to said stent, said staple comprising a crown and two legs extending therefrom, at least one of said legs extending through said graft material and through said first aperture, both of said legs being bent towards said crown such that said legs extend through said second aperture.

2. The stent-graft according to claim 1, wherein said graft member covers substantially all of said exterior surface of said stent.

3. The stent-graft according to claim 1 wherein said stent is a self-expanding stent.

4. The stent-graft according to claim 3 wherein said stent is made from a superelastic nickel titanium alloy.

5. The stent-graft according to claim 1 wherein said graft member is selected from a group of materials consisting of Dacron, Teflon, woven polyester, and polyurethane.

6. The stent-graft according to claim 1 wherein said staple is radiopaque.

7. A stent-graft for insertion into a body lumen in order to repair said lumen, said stent-graft comprising:

a. a substantially cylindrical hollow expandable stent comprising a plurality of interconnected struts, said stent having a distal end and a proximal end, and an interior surface and an exterior surface;

b. a graft member covering a predetermined portion of least one of said interior surface and said exterior surface;

c. a tab extending from at least one of said struts at one of said ends of said stent, said tab having adjacent first and second apertures extending therethrough; and

d. a staple attaching said graft member to said stent, said staple comprising a crown and first and second legs extending therefrom, said first leg extending through said graft material and through said first aperture, both of said legs being bent towards said crown such that said legs extend through said second aperture.

8. The stent-graft according to claim 7, wherein said graft member covers substantially all of said exterior surface of said stent.

9. The stent-graft according to claim 7 wherein said stent is a self-expanding stent.

10. The stent-graft according to claim 9 wherein said stent is made from a superelastic nickel titanium alloy.

11. The stent-graft according to claim 7 wherein said graft member is selected from a group of materials consisting of Dacron, Teflon, woven polyester, and polyurethane.

12. The stent-graft according to claim 7 wherein said tab further includes a notch at an end most portion of said tab, wherein said second leg of said staple abuts against and bends around said notch.

13. The stent-graft according to claim 7 wherein said staple is radiopaque.

14. A stent-graft for insertion into a body lumen in order to repair said lumen, said stent-graft comprising:

a. a substantially cylindrical hollow expandable stent comprising a plurality of interconnected struts, said stent having a distal end and a proximal end, and an interior surface and an exterior surface, at least one of said struts having adjacent first, second and middle apertures extending therethrough;

b. a graft member covering a predetermined portion of at least one of said interior surface and said exterior surface;

c. a staple attaching said graft member to said stent, said staple comprising a crown and first and second legs extending therefrom, said first leg extending through said graft material and through said first aperture, said second leg extending through said graft material and through said second aperture, both of said legs being bent towards said crown such that said legs extend through said middle aperture.

15. The stent-graft according to claim 14, wherein said graft member covers substantially all of said exterior surface of said stent.

16. The stent-graft according to claim 14 wherein said stent is a self-expanding stent.

17. The stent-graft according to claim 16 wherein said stent is made from a superelastic nickel titanium alloy.

18. The stent-graft according to claim 14 wherein said graft member is selected from a group of materials consisting of Dacron, Teflon, woven polyester, and polyurethane.

19. The stent-graft according to claim 14 wherein said staple is radiopaque.