Method of preventing the dislodgment of a stent-graft

• US 6,929,659 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2002
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lifeport Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scimed Life Systems Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Pinchuk, Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): Prebilic, Paul B.
• Application Number:
  US10/082,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20020173836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.13, 623/1.15, 623/1.23, 623/903
• US Class Current: 623/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• 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 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 2230/0067 conical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0078 hyperboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 differing in diameter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/903 Blood vessel

Abstract

Endoluminal stent-grafts include several features which restrict dilation subsequent to installation but which allow the stent-grafts to be installed in the same manner as a conventional stent-graft. According to one embodiment, sutures are attached to an expanded stent-graft. The suture material is preferably braided PET or polypropylene and sutures are interwoven into the stent at substantially regular intervals. A second embodiment utilizes a band material in lieu of suture material. A third embodiment utilizes a warp knit tubular sheath with inlay yarn. The warp knit tubular sheath with inlay yarn may also act as the graft material. The invention includes a method of using these stent-grafts to prevent the dislodgment of an endoluminal stent-graft after deployment. The method includes the step of determining the maximum stent-graft diameter and related size of dilation restriction means to prevent excessive stent-graft shortening after initial deployment.

Claims

1. A method of treating an aneurysm with a stent-graft comprising the steps of:

(a) determining the length of the aneurysm;

(b) determining the diameter of the vessel into which a stent-graft will be placed;

(c) providing a stent-graft having dilation restriction means for restricting dilation of said stent-graft beyond a maximum diameter which maximum diameter is greater than the vessel diameter of step (b);

(d) trimming the stent-graft to a length that is greater than the length of the aneurysm when the stent-graft is dilated to its maximum diameter.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the dilation restriction means of the stent-graft provided in step (c) is comprised of suture material.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said suture material is flexible and substantially inelastic.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said stent-graft is made of woven wires and a suture material is woven through said wires.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the dilation restriction means of the stent-graft provided in step (c) is comprised of a plurality of sutures spaced along said stent-graft.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the dilation restriction means of the stent-graft provided in step (c) is comprised of a plurality of sutures located in a plurality of substantially parallel planes which are substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said stent-graft.