Stented vascular graft

• US 9,107,744 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2014
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates (W.L. Gore & Associates)
• Original Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates (W.L. Gore & Associates)
• Inventors: Cully, Edward H., Kanjickal, Deenu, Kilgrow, Bret J., Kovach, Larry J., Stringer, Timothy T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dornbusch, Dianne
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENDOZA, MICHAEL G
• Application Number:
  US14/559,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20150088243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 258 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/06 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/064 with special features to facilitate anastomotic coupling anastomosis of natural blood vessels A61B17/11
• 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 2/852 Two or more distinct overlapping stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/86 Stents in a form characterised by the wire-like elements; Stents in the form characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• 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 2/9522 Means for mounting a stent or stent-graft onto or into a placement instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9525 using a funnel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/97 the outer sleeve being splittable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/065 Y-shaped blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/828 Means for connecting a plurality of stents allowing flexibility of the whole structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9511 the retaining means being filaments or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0014 using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0069 cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2240/001 Designing or manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0067 Means for introducing or releasing pharmaceutical products into the body
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49885 with coating before or during assembling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49901 Sequentially associating parts on stationary aligning means

Abstract

A vascular graft incorporating a stent into a portion of its length. While various materials may be used for the vascular graft, the graft is preferably an ePTFE graft. The stent is preferably a self-expanding stent, although it may alternatively be a balloon expandable stent. The vascular graft preferably has a continuous inner tubular liner that extends between the opposing ends of the graft and provides a continuous luminal surface for blood contact that is uninterrupted by seams or joints. The length portion of the graft that does not include the stent has a greater wall thickness than does the portion including the stent.

Claims

1. An implantable prosthesis having a length extending between opposing ends, comprising:

a first polymeric tubular element extending for the entire length of the prosthesis, and said first polymeric tubular element further including at least two first length portions wherein a first length portion is located at each of the opposing ends, and a second length portion that together with the first length portions make up the entire length of the implantable prosthesis;

a stent coaxially located around at least one of the first length portions of the first tubular element;

a second polymeric tubular element coaxially located around the entire second length portion of the first polymeric tubular element wherein the combination of the second polymeric tubular element and the second length portion of the first polymeric tubular element does not include a stent;

wherein the length of the second length portion is greater than a combined length of both first length portions, wherein said first tubular element provides an uninterrupted luminal surface extending for the length of the implantable endoprosthesis.

2. An implantable prosthesis according to claim 1 wherein one end of said second tubular element is located adjacent to at least one end of one of said first stents.

3. An implantable prosthesis according to claim 1 wherein said implantable prosthesis comprises ePTFE.

4. An implantable prosthesis according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said first stents is a self-expanding stent.

5. An implantable prosthesis according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said first stents is a balloon expandable stent.

6. An implantable prosthesis according to claim 1 wherein said prosthesis is provided with a therapeutic agent.

7. An implantable prosthesis according to claim 6 wherein said therapeutic agent comprises heparin.

8. An implantable prosthesis according to claim 6 wherein said therapeutic agent is provided over at least a portion of an inner surface of said prosthesis.

9. An implantable prosthesis according to claim 6 wherein said therapeutic agent is provided over at least a portion of an outer surface of said prosthesis.

10. An implantable prosthesis according to claim 9 wherein a therapeutic agent is provided over at least a portion of an inner surface of said prosthesis.

11. An implantable prosthesis according to claim 10 wherein the therapeutic agent that is provided over at least a portion of an inner surface of said prosthesis is different from the therapeutic agent that is provided over at least a portion of the outer surface.

12. An implantable prosthesis according to claim 1 wherein a stent is coaxially located around each of the first length portions of the first tubular element.

13. An implantable prosthesis comprising a tubular element having a length extending between opposing ends of the prosthesis, said length including at least two first length portions and at least one second length portion, each first and second length portions having a wall thickness, and having at least one stent affixed to at least one of said first length portions of the tubular element, wherein said second length portion does not include a stent and wherein the wall thickness of said second length portion is at least about 20% greater than the wall thickness of said first length portions exclusive of the wall thickness of the stent, and wherein the length of the second length portion is greater than a combined length of the first length portions.

14. An implantable prosthesis according to claim 13 wherein the tubular element extends continuously between the opposing ends of the prosthesis.

15. An implantable prosthesis according to claim 13 wherein the wall thickness of said second length portion is at least about 100% greater than at least one of said first portions wall thickness.

16. An implantable prosthesis according to claim 13 wherein at least one of said stent is a self-expanding stent.

17. An implantable prosthesis according to claim 13 wherein said prosthesis is provided with a therapeutic agent.

18. An implantable prosthesis according to claim 13 wherein at least two first length portions comprise a said stent.

19. An implantable prosthesis according to claim 13 further comprising a bifurcation.