Non-porous graft with fastening elements

• US 8,209,843 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2007
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lifeshield Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Thistle, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cozart, Jermie E
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOEHLER, CHRISTOPHER M
• Application Number:
  US11/801,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20070213581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,882 Days
• Field of Search: 294/33, 294/69, 295/250.1, 623/1.13, 623/1.44, 623/1.5, 623/1.51, 623/901, 156/290
• US Class Current: 29/433
• 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: Y10T 29/49838 by stringing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49947 by applying separate fastener

Abstract

A method of making a non-porous tubular graft is disclosed. The method includes the step of securing a plurality of fastening elements extending through an outer layer of knitted, woven, or braided material along a length of the outer layer, wherein the fastening elements extend outwardly from the outer layer. The method further includes the steps of placing an inner layer of non-porous material within the outer layer such that an underside of each fastening element is positioned between the inner layer and the outer layer and laminating the outer layer to the inner layer to form the non-porous tubular graft.

Claims

1. A method of assembling a stent-graft comprising the steps of:

placing a non-porous tubular graft adjacent a surface of a stent, the non-porous tubular graft comprising an outer layer of knitted, woven, or braided material and an inner layer of non-porous material; and

securing the non-porous tubular graft to the surface of the stent using a plurality of fastening elements that penetrate from an inside of the outer layer through to an outside of the outer layer and that extend from a surface of the outer layer, wherein at least one fastening element is a continuous structure defining an enclosed area that intersects the outer layer at no more than two points to enclose a segment of the outer layer between the two points such that an underside of the at least one fastening element is positioned between the inner layer and the outer layer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the securing step comprises knotting a looped locking element around the plurality of fastening elements of the non-porous tubular graft and a structural component of the stent.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the securing step comprises threading and looping a linear locking element through the plurality of fastening elements of the non-porous tubular graft and around a structural component of the stent, the linear locking element extending adjacent a surface of the stent.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the securing step further comprises securing end portions of the linear locking element around a structural component of the stent.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the securing step comprises threading a linear locking element through the plurality of fastening elements of the non-porous tubular graft, the linear locking element extending adjacent a surface of the stent.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the securing step comprises securing the linear locking element to at least two points along a length of the stent.

7. A method of assembling a stent-graft comprising the steps of:

placing a non-porous tubular graft having a plurality of fastening elements extending a distance from a surface of an outer layer and penetrating from an inside of the outer layer through to an outside of the outer layer of the non-porous tubular graft adjacent an inside surface of a stent, wherein at least one fastening element is a continuous structure defining an enclosed area that intersects the outer layer at no more than two points to enclose a segment of the outer layer between the two points such that an underside of the at least one fastening element is positioned between the inner layer and the outer layer; and

securing the non-porous tubular graft to an outer surface of the stent via the at least one fastening element.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the securing step comprises knotting a locking element around the plurality of fastening elements of the non-porous tubular graft and a structural component of the stent.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the securing step comprises threading and looping a linear locking element through the plurality of fastening elements of the non-porous tubular graft, the linear locking element extending adjacent the outside surface of the stent.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the securing step comprises threading a linear locking element through the plurality of fastening elements of the non-porous tubular graft, the linear locking element extending adjacent the outside surface of the stent.