Ultrasonic crimping of a varied diameter vascular graft

• US 7,309,461 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2004
• Issued: 12/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maquet Cardiovascular LLC (Getinge AB)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Kujawski, Dennis, Hain, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Christina
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOLLSCHLAGER, JEFFREY MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US10/822,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20050228489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 264/443
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/06 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2412 with soft flexible valve members, e.g. tissue valves shaped like natural valves check valves with flexible valve members in general F16K15/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2240/001 Designing or manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 differing in diameter
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2791/008 Using vibrations during moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/0261 using ultrasonic or sonic vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/30 of tubes by blow-moulding B29C49/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/82 Cores or mandrels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/0014 for shaping tubes or blown tubular films
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2313/00 Use of textile products or fabrics as reinforcement B29K2105/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2023/183 partially

Abstract

A method of crimping a varied diameter graft is includes the steps of (i) providing a flat-woven tubular graft having an enlarged woven bulbous portion disposed between flat-woven tubular ends, wherein the flat-woven diameter of the bulbous section is greater than the flat woven diameters of the tubular ends; (ii) providing a mandrel shaped and sized to the woven bulbous section and having a curved crimping surface; and (iii) positioning the curved crimping surface within the bulbous woven section so that the bulbous woven section contours to the curved crimping surface.

Claims

1. A method of crimping a varied diameter graft comprising:

(a) providing a flat-woven tubular graft having an enlarged woven bulbous portion disposed between flat-woven tubular ends, wherein the flat-woven diameter of said woven bulbous portion is greater than the flat-woven diameters of said tubular ends;

(b) providing a mandrel shaped and sized to said woven bulbous portion and having a curved crimping surface;

(c) positioning said curved crimping surface within said woven bulbous portion so that said woven bulbous portion contours to said curved crimping surface;

(d) providing a horn having a crimped surface mateable to said crimped surface of said mandrel;

(e) aligning said crimping surface of said horn over said woven bulbous portion;

(f) securing said woven bulbous portion between said crimping surface of said horn and said crimping surface of said mandrel;

(g) causing said woven bulbous portion to heat by ultrasonic action from said horn to heat set crimps thereat; and

(h) rotating said graft around said mandrel and repeating steps (e) through (g) until the graft is circumferentially crimped.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising heating said woven bulbous portion to set a bulbous shape of said woven bulbous portion.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising applying pressure to said woven bulbous portion to set a bulbous shape of said woven bulbous portion.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said heating is caused by ultrasonic action.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (f) further comprises applying pressure between said crimping surface of said horn and said crimping surface of said mandrel.

6. The method of claim 5, where said pressure is from about 10 psi to about 100 psi.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said horn operates at a frequency of 20 kHz, 30 kHz, or 40 kHz.

8. A method of crimping a varied diameter graft comprising:

(a) providing a flat-woven tubular graft having an enlarged woven bulbous portion disposed between flat-woven tubular ends, wherein the flat-woven diameter of said bulbous portion is greater than the flat-woven diameters of said tubular ends;

(b) providing a rotatable mandrel shaped and sized to said woven bulbous portion and having a curved crimping surface;

(c) positioning said curved crimping surface of said rotatable mandrel within said woven bulbous portion so that said woven bulbous portion contours to said curved crimping surface;

(d) providing a rotatable horn having a crimped surface mateable to said crimped surface of said rotatable mandrel made to rotate;

(e) aligning said crimping surface of said rotatable horn over said woven bulbous portion;

(f) securing said woven bulbous portion between said crimping surface of said rotatable horn and said curved crimping surface of said rotatable mandrel; and

(g) causing said woven bulbous portion to heat by ultrasonic action from said horn to heat set a bulbous shape of said woven bulbous portion and to heat set crimps thereat.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein step (f) further comprises applying an impingement force between said crimping surface of said rotatable horn and said crimping surface of said rotatable mandrel.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the impingement force is at a pressure from about 10 psi to about 100 psi.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said crimps are radially extending crimps.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said rotatable horn operates at a frequency of 20 kHz, 30 kHz, or 40 kHz.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising rotating said rotatable horn and said rotatable mandrel around the graft and repeating steps (e) through (g) until the graft is circumferentially crimped.