Artificial graft and implantation method

• US 6,702,844 B1
• Filed: 09/27/1999
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lifeport Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EndoVascular Technologies Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Lazarus, Harrison M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Snow, Bruce
• Application Number:
  US09/405,965
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• Field of Search: 606/194, 606/198, 623/1.11, 623/1.13, 623/1.14, 623/1.2, 623/1.23, 623/1.36
• US Class Current: 623/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/11 for performing anastomosis; Buttons for anastomosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/04 Hollow or tubular parts of organs, e.g. bladders, tracheae, bronchi or bile ducts A61F2/18, A61F2/20 take precedence; devices, other than stent-grafts, providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body other than stent-grafts, e.g. stents A61F2/82; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/848 having means for fixation to the vessel wall, e.g. barbs
• 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 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3008 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30451 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/8486 provided on at least one of the ends
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0058 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10 Balloon catheters A61M25/0125 takes precedence; embolectomy A61B17/22032; retractors A61B17/02; inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts A61F2/958 ; stomach balloons for treatment of obesity A61F5/0003; oesophagal tubes A61J15/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/903 Blood vessel

Abstract

An intraluminal grafting system includes a hollow graft which has a proximal staple positioned proximate its proximal end and a distal staple adapted proximate its distal end. The system includes a capsule for transporting the graft through the lumen and for positioning the proximal end of the graft upstream in a lumen which may be a blood vessel or artery. A tube is connected to the capsule and extends to exterior the vessel for manipulation by the user. A catheter is positioned within the tube to extend from the cavity and through the graft to exterior the body. The catheter has an inflatable membrane or balloon proximate the distal end thereof which is in communication via a channel with inflation and deflation means located exterior the vessel. With the inflatable membrane deflated, the capsule is positioned in the lumen and manipulated to a desired location. The inflatable membrane is manipulated by the rod away from the graft. The force exerted by the inflatable membrane and the structure of the staples urges the staples in the vessel wall, retaining the graft in position. The remainder of the intraluminal grafting system is then removed from the corporeal vessel.

Claims

1. A system for engrafting in a fluid conducting corporeal lumen comprising:

a hollow graft having a distal end and a proximal end, at least a portion of said hollow graft being deformable to substantially conform to an interior surface of said corporeal lumen;

an anchoring element positioned proximate at least the proximal end of said graft, said anchoring element including a plurality of alternating apices and being formed and positioned to urge said hollow graft against said interior surface and having at least one elongated tine-like member with a sharp point to penetrate and hook into an interior surface of a lumen;

a placement element including a graft cover having an interior sized and shaped to receive said hollow graft with said anchoring element, said graft cover having distal and proximal extremities, said proximal extremity having an aperture formed therein for passage therethrough of said hollow graft; and

an operation element connected to the distal extremity of said graft cover and having portions thereof which extend exterior of said corporeal lumen, said operation element operating to urge said hollow graft through said aperture of said proximal extremity.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said operation element includes a hollow tube connected to the distal extremity of said graft cover, said hollow tube being of a length to extend exterior the lumen.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said operation element includes a catheter sized in cross section to slide within said hollow tube and through said graft cover, said catheter having a length to extend from interior said graft cover to exterior the lumen and said catheter having an inflatable element proximate its interior end and an inflation and deflation device in communication therewith extending to the exterior of the lumen.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said operation element includes a pusher secured to the catheter proximate to said inflatable element, said pusher sized to urge said hollow graft out of said graft cover through said aperture at the proximal extremity when a pushing force is applied to the catheter.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said pusher is cylindrical in shape.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein said graft cover has a tapered superior extremity.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein said hollow graft is substantially cylindrical in shape and wherein said anchoring element and said hollow graft are slidably positionable within said graft cover, and wherein said pusher is sized to contact said anchoring element.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the elongated tine-like member is angled from 15-90 degrees from a longitudinal axis extending through the anchoring element.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the elongated tine-like member is angled in a distal direction.

10. A system for engrafting in a fluid conducting corporeal lumen comprising:

a deformable hollow graft having a proximal end and a distal end, at least a portion of said hollow graft being deformable to substantially conform to the interior surface of said corporeal lumen;

a proximal anchoring element positioned proximate the proximal end of said graft, said proximal anchoring element including a plurality of alternating apices and being formed of a spring-like material and having at least one barb with a sharp point to penetrate and hook into an interior surface of a lumen and being formed and positioned to urge said hollow graft against said interior surface, said proximal anchoring element being movable between a first condition in which it is compressed about a central axis and a second condition in which it springs outwardly from said central axis;

a distal anchoring element positioned proximate the distal end of said hollow graft, said distal anchoring element being formed of a spring-like material;

a placement element carrying said hollow graft and including a graft cover having an interior sized and shaped to receive said hollow graft with said anchoring element, said graft cover having distal and proximal extremities, said proximal extremity having an aperture formed therein for passage therethrough of said hollow graft; and

an operation element connected to the distal extremity of said graft cover and having portions thereof which extend exterior of said corporeal lumen, said operation element operating to urge said hollow graft through said aperture of said proximal extremity.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the elongated tine-like member is angled in a distal direction.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the barb is angled in a distal direction.