Compliant blood vessel graft

• US 8,382,814 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2011
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vascular Graft Solutions Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Kips Bay Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Zilla, Peter P., Rafiee, Nasser, Bezuidenhout, Deon, Franz, Thomas, Yeoman, Mark, Bowles, Hellmut, Douk, Nareak, Human, Paul, Wolf, Michael F
• Primary Examiner(s): Sweet, Thomas J
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEWART, JASON-DENNIS NEILKEN
• Application Number:
  US13/209,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20110295157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1.1, 623/1.15, 623/1.13
• US Class Current: 623/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/11 for performing anastomosis; Buttons for anastomosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1107 for blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1132 End-to-end connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1135 End-to-side connections, e.g. T- or Y-connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1139 Side-to-side connections, e.g. shunt or X-connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1076 for measuring dimensions inside body cavities, e.g. using catheters A61B3/1005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/06 Blood vessels
• 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 2/856 Single tubular stent with a side portal passage
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2240/002 Designing or making customized prostheses

Abstract

Stents and methods of using stents are provided. Stents of the invention provide external support structure for a blood vessel segment disposed within, wherein the stents are capable of resilient radial expansion in a manner mimicking the compliance properties of an artery. The stent may be formed of a knitted or braided mesh formed so as to provide the needed compliance properties. A venous graft with the stent and a vein segment disposed within is provided, wherein graft is capable of mimicking the compliance properties of an artery. Methods of selecting stents for downsizing and methods of using the stents of the invention in downsizing and smoothening are provided. Methods of replacing a section of an artery with a venous graft including a stent of the invention are provided. Methods of reducing intimal hyperplasia in implanted vein segment in a venous graft using stents of the invention are provided.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a reinforcement for placement at an ablumenal surface of a vein of a replacement vein graft, said method comprising:

inflating the vein to a physiological pressure;

measuring a maximum outer diameter of the inflated vein;

providing a set of a plurality of substantially tubular resiliently compliant reinforcements, each of said reinforcements having a respective unique inner diameter; and

selecting one of said plurality of reinforcements in the set, wherein the selected reinforcement has an inner diameter appropriate to diametrically downsize the vein when the reinforcement is mounted at the ablumenal surface.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the selected reinforcement has an inner diameter appropriate to diametrically downsize the vein by up to 40%.

3. A method as in claim 1, including measuring a minimum outer diameter of the inflated vein, and wherein the inner diameter of the selected reinforcement is smaller than the minimum outer diameter of the inflated vein.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein the physiological pressure is about 120 mm Hg.