Endovascular graft joint and method for manufacture

• US 9,351,858 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2015
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Endologix
• Original Assignee: Trivascular Incorporated
• Inventors: Chobotov, Michael V., Stephens, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Iwamaye, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOPEZ, LESLIE ANN
• Application Number:
  US14/704,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20150230949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 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: A61F 2210/0076 multilayered, e.g. laminated structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0003 having an inflatable pocket filled with fluid, e.g. liquid or gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0028 differing in fibre orientations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/44 rotatable about the axis of the article
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/00 Joining or sealing of preformed parts , e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor general aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts B29C66/00; using porous material formed by internal pressure generated therein for joining preformed parts B29C44/1228, B29C44/326
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/18 using heated tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/48 using adhesives , i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4815 Hot melt adhesives, e.g. thermoplastic adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/482 Drying adhesives, e.g. solvent based adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/483 Reactive adhesives, e.g. chemically curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/12261 the two joint-segments being bevelled, e.g. the two joint-segments forming a V
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/24 said joint lines being closed or non-straight
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/43 Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles B29C66/45 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/4322 by joining a single sheet to itself B29C66/4332 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/438 Joining sheets for making hollow-walled, channelled structures or multi-tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/49 : Internally supporting the, e.g. tubular, article during joining B29C66/63 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/494 : using an inflatable core
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/65 : with a relative motion between the article and the welding tool B29C65/10, B29C65/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 : characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/723 : being multi-layered B29C66/7292, B29C66/72941 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7234 : comprising a barrier layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81422 : being convex
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8161 : said pressing elements being supported or backed-up by springs or by resilient material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81812 : the welding jaws being cooled from the outside, e.g. by blowing a gas or spraying a liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8221 : Scissor or lever mechanisms, i.e. involving a pivot point
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8222 : Pinion or rack mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/836 : Moving relative to and tangentially to the parts to be joined, e.g. transversely to the displacement of the parts to be joined, e.g. using a X-Y table B29C66/65 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/18 : PTFE, i.e. polytetrafluorethene , e.g. ePTFE, i.e. expanded polytetrafluorethene
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2022/02 : Inflatable articles balls B29L2031/54 ; inner tyres B29L2023/245
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2022/022 : Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7546 : Surgical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1002 : with permanent bending or reshaping or surface deformation of self sustaining lamina

Abstract

A joint and method for producing a joint in an endovascular graft. In one embodiment, a flap of a flexible material portion of an endovascular graft is folded about a portion of an expandable member to form a loop portion. The flap is secured in the loop configuration so that tensile force on the expandable member is transferred into a shear force on the fixed portion of the flap.

Claims

1. An endovascular graft comprising:

a tubular graft body having a proximal end and an opposed distal end and further having a longitudinal axis and a circumferential axis, said tubular graft body comprising a plurality of layers of fusible materials;

wherein said plurality of layers of fusible materials comprise;

(i) a base layer of polytetrafluoroethylene having a preferential tensile strength in a uniaxial direction substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis or substantially aligned with the circumferential axis; and

(ii) additional layers of polytetrafluoroethylene disposed about said base layer;

wherein said graft body comprises an inflatable channel or cuff comprising at least two seams of fusible material among said plurality of layers of fusible materials to define the inflatable channel or cuff disposed between at least two of said plurality of layers of fusible material;

a polymeric connector member disposed near the proximal end of the tubular graft body; and

a joint disposed about the polymeric connector member, the joint comprising at least one flap of at least one of the additional layers of polytetrafluoroethylene folded back over the tubular graft body and secured thereto to form a loop portion about the polymeric connector member.

2. The endovascular graft of claim 1, wherein said inflatable channel or cuff is a circumferential channel.

3. The endovascular graft of claim 1, wherein said inflatable channel is a longitudinal channel.

4. The endovascular graft of claim 1, wherein said additional layers of polytetrafluoroethylene comprise expanded polytetrafluoroethylene.

5. The endovascular graft of claim 4, wherein said expanded polytetrafluoroethylene of said additional layers of polytetrafluoroethylene comprises multiaxially oriented fibril expanded polytetrafluoroethylene.

6. The endovascular graft of claim 1, wherein said additional layers of polytetrafluoroethylene comprise porous polytetrafluoroethylene.

7. The endovascular graft of claim 4, wherein the fusible material at said at least two seams is non-expanded polytetrafluoroethylene with a relatively high specific gravity as compared to a relatively low specific gravity of the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene.

8. The endovascular graft of claim 1, wherein said at least two seams are formed by thermal-compaction.

9. The endovascular graft of claim 1, wherein said at least two seams are formed by exertion of pressure from about 100 pounds per square inch to about 6,000 pounds per square inch between said plurality of layers of fusible materials.

10. The endovascular graft of claim 1, wherein said at least two seams are formed by application of heat to said plurality of layers of fusible materials from about 320 degrees Celsius to about 550 degrees Celsius.

11. The endovascular graft of claim 1, wherein said at least two seams further comprise an adhesive.

12. The endovascular graft of claim 1, wherein said at least two seams are impervious to fluid penetration.

13. The endovascular graft of claim 1, wherein said base layer of polytetrafluoroethylene has fibrils that are substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis.

14. The endovascular graft of claim 1, wherein said base layer of polytetrafluoroethylene has fibrils that are substantially aligned with the circumferential axis.

15. The endovascular graft of claim 1, wherein the polymeric connector member comprises a transversely oriented member or portion thereof.

16. The endovascular graft of claim 15, wherein the at least one flap is configured to transfer tensile force on the transversely oriented member into a shear component of force on the flap and the tubular graft body.

17. The endovascular graft of claim 1, comprising a plurality of polymeric connector members disposed near the proximal end of the tubular graft body.