Prosthetic repair of body passages

• US 8,088,155 B1
• Filed: 06/19/1997
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vascutek Limited (Terumo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Vascutek Limited (Terumo Corporation)
• Inventors: Lauterjung, Karl-Lutz
• Primary Examiner(s): PREBILIC, PAUL B
• Application Number:
  US08/878,908
• Time in Patent Office: 5,311 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1, 623/2, 623/12, 623/1.2, 623/1.16, 623/1.13, 623/2.38, 623/2.4, 623/27, 623/35, 623/52, 623/23.52, 623/23.54, 623/3.26, 623/1.36, 606/191, 606/198
• US Class Current: 623/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/24 Heart valves ; Vascular valves, e.g. venous valves; Heart implants, e.g. passive devices for improving the function of the native valve or the heart muscle; Transmyocardial revascularisation [TMR] devices; Valves implantable in the body
• 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 2/2439 Expansion controlled by filaments
• 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 2/95 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 2002/30327 differing in diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30505 spring biased
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/826 more than one stent being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9511 the retaining means being filaments or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0025 Connections or couplings between prosthetic parts, e.g. between modular parts; Connecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 differing in diameter

Abstract

A prosthesis that resiliently engages a body passage includes an annular clamping ring which may be folded along a diametric axis for insertion into the body passage. The clamping ring is adapted to resiliently spring outwardly, once in position inside the body passage, and to be continually resiliently biased against the interior surface of the body passage. One or more of the clamping rings may be attached to opposed ends of a tubular graft. The rings and connected graft may be positioned in the body passage using a applicator which selectively permits expansion and/or in some embodiments contraction of the annular ring in position within a body passage. Alternatively a retaining member may be used to retain the annular ring in a compressed condition until it is in a desired position within a body passage. Among other potential uses, the present invention may be useful as a vascular stent for treating abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Claims

1. A prosthesis for insertion within a body passage comprising:

a first section including a resiliently deformable first annular element and a first tubular graft that is less resilient than said first annular element, said first tubular graft having a pair of free ends and an internal surface, said first annular element attached to one of said free ends;

a second section axially aligned with said first section, said second section including a resiliently deformable second annular element comprising a bundle of radially overlapping windings formed of a strand of resilient wire, a given winding in contact with another winding for a complete turn of the given winding, a diameter of the second annular element substantially the same as a diameter of at least one of the windings, said second annular element adapted to be folded around its diametric axis to assume a smaller cross-sectional configuration, and a second tubular graft, said second tubular graft of said second section adapted to communicate with said first tubular graft of said first section, said second tubular graft having one end which defines a single passage and an opposite end which defines a pair of bifurcated passages which communicate with said single passage;

a third prosthesis section including a pair of annular resilient deformable annular elements and a third tubular graft, said third tubular graft having a pair of free ends and an internal surface, one of said annular elements attached to one of the free ends of said third tubular graft, the other of said annular elements attached to the other of free ends of said third tubular graft, said third graft connected to one of said pair of bifurcated passages of said second tubular graft, one of said annular elements adapted to engage the interior of said second prosthesis section; and

a fourth prosthesis section including a pair of annular resilient deformable annular elements and a fourth tubular graft, said fourth tubular graft having a pair of free ends and an internal surface, one of said annular elements attached to one of the free ends of said fourth tubular graft, the other of said annular elements attached to the other of free ends of said fourth graft, said fourth graft connected to the other of said pair of bifurcated passages of said second tubular graft, one of said annular elements adapted to engage the interior of said second prosthesis section.

2. A prosthesis comprising:

a tubular graft having a length, a pair of free ends opposed along the length of said graft, and a first diameter perpendicular to said length; and

a deformable ring having a second diameter, said second diameter parallel to said first diameter, the ring formed of a bundle of windings of a strand of resilient metal wire, said windings connected together to form the ring, the windings wrapped one over the other such that a particular winding has substantially continuous contact with one or more other windings for a complete turn of the particular winding, each winding being a closed loop of a portion of said metal wire, each loop having substantially said second diameter, each loop lying substantially in a plane, the planes of said loops being parallel and substantially coplanar, the second diameter of said ring greater than the first diameter of the tubular graft, said ring secured to said graft adjacent one of said free ends, each of said loops constituting a length of a portion of said metal wire such that the loop wraps back upon itself, said loops defining a flattened helical coil wherein said loops that define the coil touch adjacent loops of the coil.

6. The prosthesis of claim 2 wherein a portion of said tubular graft proximate said ring has a second diameter.

3. A prosthesis comprising:

a tubular graft having a length, a pair of free ends opposed along the length of said graft, and a first diameter perpendicular to said length; and

a bundle of radially overlapping windings formed of a single strand of resilient metal wire, a particular winding having substantially continuous contact with one or more other windings throughout a complete turn of said particular winding, a second diameter of said bundle of windings greater than the first diameter of said graft, said windings being concentric with said tubular graft and located adjacent one of said free ends, said bundle being a helical coil of a plurality of closed loops, each loop being a portion of a length of said wire wrapped upon itself, said loops being collapsed along an axis of said coil to form a flattened helical coil, said axis extending generally transverse to the diameters of said loops, each of said loops having substantially the same diameter and each of said loops contacting at least one adjacent loop of said helical coil, said second diameter being parallel to said first diameter.

4. A prosthesis comprising:

a tubular graft having a length, a pair of free ends opposed along the length of said graft, and a first diameter perpendicular to said length; and

a ring located adjacent one of said free ends and coaxial therewith, said ring having a second diameter and comprising windings formed of a single strand of resilient metal wire, the second diameter of the ring substantially the same as a diameter of at least one of the windings, the windings wound one over the other and connected to form a bundle, the bundle of said windings having a substantially circular cross-section, each of said windings being a closed loop of a portion of said metal wire, said loop being substantially circular, having substantially the same diameter as said ring, contacting at least one adjacent loop, and turned back on itself to form a circular loop, said second diameter parallel to said first diameter, said ring comprising said windings and said graft being coaxial.

5. The prosthesis of claim 4 wherein the minimum bending diameter of said ring is less than that of a solid ring of the same dimensions.

7. A prosthesis for being positioned in a blood vessel comprising:

a graft; and

an annular resilient element attached to said graft, said element comprising a bundle of concentric, radially overlapping windings formed of a strand of resilient wire, each winding in the form of a closed loop of a portion of the length of said resilient wire, each of said loops wrapping back upon itself, said loops collectively defining a flattened helical coil defining said annular resilient element, a diameter of the annular resilient element substantially the same as a diameter of at least one of said windings, said annular resilient element adapted to be folded about its diametric axis to assume a smaller cross-sectional configuration and adapted to engage the inside of a body passage in said folded configuration, and when said folded annular resilient element is engaged with said body passage, said graft to extend along a length of a first blood vessel, a part of said graft adapted to be positioned past a point of an intersection of said first blood vessel and a second blood vessel so as not to occlude an opening to permit communication of said intersection, said folded annular resilient element defining a C-shaped configuration, said graft and said element being coaxial.

8. The prosthesis of claim 7 wherein a diameter of said graft is sized to be approximately the same as a diameter of a given blood vessel.

9. The prosthesis of claim 7 wherein said element has an undeformed diameter greater than the diameter of said graft.

10. The prosthesis of claim 7 wherein an undeformed diameter of said element is sized to be greater than a diameter of a given blood vessel.

11. A prosthesis for being positioned in a blood vessel comprising:

an annular resilient element, said element comprising a bundle of concentric, radially overlapping windings formed of a strand of resilient metal wire, one of said windings in contact with another of said windings, said contact for a full turn of said one of said windings and said contact not limited to contact with the same another of said windings, a diameter of the annular element substantially the same as a diameter of at least one of said windings, said annular element adapted to be folded about its diametric axis to assume a smaller cross-sectional configuration, said folded element adapted to be situated in said blood vessel with an arcuate portion of said folded element engaged with said blood vessel;

said annular resilient element being a helical coil made up of the plurality of parallel loops having substantially the same diameter and having a common axis, said loops being flattened upon one another so that adjacent loops are touching, substantially coplanar, and parallel; and

a graft, said element attached to an end of said graft, a tip of each fold of said folded element to contact the graft, said graft having a length parallel to the common axis of said loop.

12. The prosthesis of claim 11 wherein said graft is adapted to extend along a length of a first blood vessel and a part of said graft is positionable past a point of an intersection of said first blood vessel and a second blood vessel so as not to occlude an opening to permit communication of said intersection.

13. The prosthesis of claim 11 wherein a diameter of said graft is approximately the same as a diameter of the blood vessel, in which said prosthesis is to be positioned.

14. The prosthesis of claim 11 wherein the unfolded diameter of said element is greater than the diameter of said graft.

15. The prosthesis of claim 11 wherein the unfolded diameter of said element is greater than a diameter of the blood vessel, in which said prosthesis is to be positioned.

16. A prosthesis for being positioned in a blood vessel comprising:

a tubular graft having a length; and

an annular resilient element attached to said graft, said element comprising a bundle of concentric, windings formed of a strand of resilient metal wire, said windings overlapping along radii of said annular resilient element, a diameter of the annular element substantially the same as a diameter of at least one of said windings, said annular element adapted to be folded about its diametric axis to assume a smaller cross-sectional configuration, said graft adapted to be positioned within a first blood vessel proximate to a second blood vessel such that the diametric axis of said element is proximate to an intersection of said first blood vessel and said second blood vessel and a part of said graft is to extend past said intersection so as not to occlude an opening and to permit communication with said intersection, only a part of both said graft and said annular resilient element to engage a portion of said first blood vessel located past said second blood vessel, said windings formed of a plurality of circular loops formed of a portion of said wire turned back on itself such that a plurality of adjacent loops are connected together to form a helical coil, said helical coil being flattened such that each of said loops touch another loop and each of said loops are substantially coplanar with each of said other loops and said loops having a common central axis, said element having a central axis parallel to the length of said graft.

17. A prosthesis comprising:

a tubular graft having a length; and

a deformable, annular, resilient element located near one end of said graft, said element comprising a bundle of windings formed of a strand of wire, said windings overlapping along radii of said annular resilient element, said bundle substantially circular in cross-section, wherein said cross-section can be taken at any point on a circumference of said element, a diameter of said element substantially the same as a diameter of at least one of said windings, said element adapted to be folded around its diametric axis and to resiliently engage a first human blood vessel in a C-shaped deformed configuration, a part of said C-shaped deformed element to resiliently engage said first human blood vessel past a point of intersection of said first blood vessel and a second blood vessel to permit communication of said intersection, each of said windings being a loop of a portion of a length of wire turned back on itself such that a plurality of adjacent loops are connected together defining a helical coil, said helical coil being flattened such that each of said loops touch another loop and each of said loops is substantially coplanar with each of said other loops and said loops have a common central axis, said element having a central axis parallel to the length of said graft.