Vascular prosthesis for treating aneurysms
First Claim
1. Apparatus for use with a delivery catheter, the apparatus comprising an endovascular stent-graft, which is configured to initially be positioned in the delivery catheter in a radially-compressed state, and to assume a radially-expanded state upon being deployed from the delivery catheter, and which comprises:
- a structural member, which comprises a plurality of structural stent elements, at least a portion of which define a stent body when the stent-graft assumes the radially-expanded state; and
a fluid flow guide, which comprises at least one biologically-compatible substantially fluid-impervious flexible sheet, and which is coupled to the stent body,wherein, when the stent-graft assumes the radially-expanded state;
a first subset of the structural stent elements of the stent body are configured to cause the stent body and the fluid flow guide to define a bulge that extends radially outward, which has a greatest cross-sectional area that is equal to at least 120% of a cross-sectional area of a narrowest portion of the stent-graft rostral to the bulge,the fluid flow guide is shaped so as to define radially-diverging and radially-converging portions, which together define the bulge, wherein the radially-diverging portion is rostral to the radially-converging portion,a second subset of the structural stent elements of the stent body are not configured to cause the fluid flow guide to define the bulge, andthe structural stent elements of the first subset overlap the structural stent elements of the second subset lengthwise along the entire radially-diverging portion.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An endovascular stent-graft is provided that includes a structural member, which includes structural stent elements, at least a portion of which define a stent body when the stent-graft assumes a radially-expanded state; and a fluid flow guide. When the stent-graft assumes the radially-expanded state, (a) a first subset of the structural stent elements are configured to cause the stent body and the fluid flow guide to define a bulge that extends radially outward and has a greatest cross-sectional area that is equal to at least 120% of a cross-sectional area of a narrowest portion of the stent-graft rostral to the bulge, and (b) a second subset of the structural stent elements are not configured to cause the fluid flow guide to define the bulge. The structural stent elements of the first subset at least partially overlap the structural stent elements of the second subset lengthwise along the stent body.
512 Citations
37 Claims
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1. Apparatus for use with a delivery catheter, the apparatus comprising an endovascular stent-graft, which is configured to initially be positioned in the delivery catheter in a radially-compressed state, and to assume a radially-expanded state upon being deployed from the delivery catheter, and which comprises:
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a structural member, which comprises a plurality of structural stent elements, at least a portion of which define a stent body when the stent-graft assumes the radially-expanded state; and a fluid flow guide, which comprises at least one biologically-compatible substantially fluid-impervious flexible sheet, and which is coupled to the stent body, wherein, when the stent-graft assumes the radially-expanded state; a first subset of the structural stent elements of the stent body are configured to cause the stent body and the fluid flow guide to define a bulge that extends radially outward, which has a greatest cross-sectional area that is equal to at least 120% of a cross-sectional area of a narrowest portion of the stent-graft rostral to the bulge, the fluid flow guide is shaped so as to define radially-diverging and radially-converging portions, which together define the bulge, wherein the radially-diverging portion is rostral to the radially-converging portion, a second subset of the structural stent elements of the stent body are not configured to cause the fluid flow guide to define the bulge, and the structural stent elements of the first subset overlap the structural stent elements of the second subset lengthwise along the entire radially-diverging portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. Apparatus for use with a delivery catheter, the apparatus comprising an endovascular stent-graft, which is configured to initially be positioned in the delivery catheter in a radially-compressed state, and to assume a radially-expanded state upon being deployed from the delivery catheter, and which comprises:
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a structural member, which comprises a plurality of structural stent elements, at least a portion of which define a stent body when the stent-graft assumes the radially-expanded state; and a fluid flow guide, which comprises at least one biologically-compatible substantially fluid-impervious flexible sheet, and which is coupled to the stent body, wherein, when the stent-graft assumes the radially-expanded state; a first subset of the structural stent elements of the stent body are configured to cause the stent body and the fluid flow guide to define a bulge that extends radially outward, which has a greatest cross-sectional area that is equal to at least 120% of a cross-sectional area of a narrowest portion of the stent-graft rostral to the bulge, and a second subset of the structural stent elements of the stent body (a) are not configured to cause the fluid flow guide to define the bulge, and (b) are shaped so as to define a substantially tubular structure that overlaps the structural stent elements of the first subset lengthwise along the stent body. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. A method comprising:
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providing an endovascular stent-graft, which is configured to assume a radially-compressed state and a radially-expanded state, and which includes (a) a structural member, which includes a plurality of structural stent elements, at least a portion of which define a stent body when the stent-graft assumes the radially-expanded state, and (b) a fluid flow guide, which includes at least one biologically-compatible substantially fluid-impervious flexible sheet, and which is coupled to the stent body, wherein, when the stent-graft assumes the radially-expanded state, (a) a first subset of the structural stent elements of the stent body are configured to cause the stent body and the fluid flow guide to define a bulge that extends radially outward, which has a greatest cross-sectional area that is equal to at least 120% of a cross-sectional area of a narrowest portion of the stent-graft rostral to the bulge, (b) the fluid flow guide is shaped so as to define radially-diverging and radially-converging portions, which together define the bulge, wherein the radially-diverging portion is rostral to the radially-converging portion, (c) a second subset of the structural stent elements of the stent body are not configured to cause the fluid flow guide to define the bulge, and (d) the structural stent elements of the first subset overlap the structural stent elements of the second subset lengthwise along the entire radially-diverging portion; transvascularly introducing the stent-graft into an aorta of a human subject, while the stent-graft is positioned in a delivery catheter in the radially-compressed state; and deploying the stent-graft from the delivery catheter at least partially in the aorta such that the bulge extends radially outward against and sealingly contacts a rostral portion of an abdominal aortic aneurysm in the aorta when the stent-graft assumes the radially-expanded state. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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34. A method comprising:
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providing an endovascular stent-graft, which is configured to assume a radially-compressed state and a radially-expanded state, and which includes (a) a structural member, which includes a plurality of structural stent elements, at least a portion of which define a stent body when the stent-graft assumes the radially-expanded state, and (b) a fluid flow guide, which includes at least one biologically-compatible substantially fluid-impervious flexible sheet, and which is coupled to the stent body, wherein, when the stent-graft assumes the radially-expanded state, (a) a first subset of the structural stent elements of the stent body are configured to cause the stent body and the fluid flow guide to define a bulge that extends radially outward, which has a greatest cross-sectional area that is equal to at least 120% of a cross-sectional area of a narrowest portion of the stent-graft rostral to the bulge, and (b) a second subset of the structural stent elements of the stent body (i) are not configured to cause the fluid flow guide to define the bulge, and (ii) are shaped so as to define a substantially tubular structure that overlaps the structural stent elements of the first subset lengthwise along the stent body; transvascularly introducing the stent-graft into an aorta of a human subject, while the stent-graft is positioned in a delivery catheter in the radially-compressed state; and deploying the stent-graft from the delivery catheter at least partially in the aorta such that the bulge extends radially outward against and sealingly contacts a rostral portion of an abdominal aortic aneurysm in the aorta when the stent-graft assumes the radially-expanded state. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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Specification