# US 10,869,748 B2 · Active monitoring pressure sensitive vascular graft > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,869,748 B2 - Document ID: US10869748B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/585,869 - Filed: 2017-05-03 - Published: 2017-11-09 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-03 - Assignees: Regents of the University of Minnesota - Applicants: Regents of the University of Minnesota - Inventors: Michael Rosenberg; Sean Lester Moen; Jafar Golzarian - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10869748B2 ## CPC - A61F 2/07: Stent-grafts - A61B 5/0215: by means inserted into the body - A61B 5/6862: {Stents} - A61B 5/0031: {Implanted circuitry} - A61B 5/02158: {provided with two or more sensor elements} - A61B 2560/0247: for compensation or correction of the measured physiological value - A61B 2560/0462: Apparatus with built-in sensors - A61B 2562/0247: Pressure sensors - A61B 2562/12: Manufacturing methods specially adapted for producing sensors for in-vivo measurements - A61B 2562/18: Shielding or protection of sensors from environmental influences, e.g. protection from mechanical damage - 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) - A61F 2002/072: {Encapsulated stents, e.g. wire or whole stent embedded in lining} - A61F 2002/8486: {provided on at least one of the ends} - A61F 2210/0014: using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol - A61F 2210/0076: multilayered, e.g. laminated structures - A61F 2250/0002: for data transfer - A61F 2250/0043: differing in electric properties, e.g. in electrical conductivity, in galvanic properties - B82Y 15/00: Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors - B82Y 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES ## Abstract A vascular graft includes deformable sleeves that include an electrical component. The electrical component can be variable-resistance or piezoelectric, in embodiments, such that deformation of the sleeves due to pressure changes create or modify an electrical signal. A transponder can then transmit information relating to the pressure inside and outside of the vascular graft. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vascular graft comprising: a support lattice defining an enclosed flowpath; an inner sleeve disposed along a radially inner portion of the support lattice, the inner sleeve comprising a deformable material and a first electrical component coupled to the deformable material, the first electrical component at least partially spanning along the inner sleeve in a continuous first layer, the first electrical component configured to produce an electrical signal indicative of a level of deformation; an outer sleeve disposed along a radially outer portion of the support lattice, the outer sleeve comprising a deformable material and a second electrical component coupled to the deformable material, the second electrical at least partially spanning along the outer sleeve in a continuous second layer, the second electrical component configured to produce an electrical signal indicative of a level of deformation; and a transponder electronically coupled to the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve and configured to transmit a signal corresponding to the level of deformation of the inner sleeve and the level of deformation of the outer sleeve. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vascular graft of claim 1, wherein the inner sleeve comprises: an inner wall, an outer wall, and the first electrical component arranged between the inner wall and the outer wall, wherein the first electrical component is configured to produce the electrical signal indicative of the level of deformation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vascular graft of claim 2, wherein the inner wall and the outer wall each comprise a liquid impermeable membrane. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The vascular graft of claim 2, wherein the inner wall and the outer wall are selected from the group consisting of: polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE); polyethylene terephthalate; and a biologic graft. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The vascular graft of claim 2, wherein the first electrical component comprises a coating of metallic nanoparticles arranged between the inner wall and the outer wall. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The vascular graft of claim 2, wherein the first electrical component comprises carbon nanotubes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vascular graft of claim 1, wherein the outer sleeve comprises: an inner wall, an outer wall, and the second electrical component arranged between the inner wall and the outer wall, wherein the second electrical component is configured to produce the electrical signal indicative of the level of deformation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The vascular graft of claim 7, wherein the second electrical component comprises a coating of metallic nanoparticles arranged between the inner wall and the outer wall. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The vascular graft of claim 7, wherein the second electrical component comprises carbon nanotubes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The vascular graft of claim 1, wherein the support lattice comprises an interconnected network of a lattice material. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The vascular graft of claim 1, wherein the lattice material comprises a shape memory alloy. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The vascular graft of claim 1, wherein the enclosed flowpath defines a longitudinal flow direction, and wherein the support lattice and the inner sleeve extend beyond the furthest longitudinal extent of the outer sleeve.