Stent-graft with adjustable length

#This invention relates generally to endoluminal devices and, more specifically, to stent-grafts having an adjustable length.

#A stent is an elongated device used to support an intraluminal wall. In the case of a stenosis, a stent provides an unobstructed conduit through a body lumen in the area of the stenosis. Such a stent may also have a prosthetic graft layer of fabric or covering lining the inside and/or outside thereof. Such a covered stent is commonly referred to in the art as an intraluminal prosthesis, an endoluminal or endovascular graft (EVG), or a stent-graft.

#A stent-graft may be used, for example, to treat a vascular aneurysm by removing the pressure on a weakened part of an artery so as to reduce the risk of rupture. Typically, a stent is implanted in a blood vessel at the site of a stenosis or aneurysm endoluminally, i.e. by so-called “minimally invasive techniques” in which the stent, restrained in a radially compressed configuration by a sheath or catheter, is delivered by a stent delivery system or “introducer” to the site where it is required. The introducer may enter the body from an access location outside the body, such as through the patient's skin, or by a “cut down” technique in which the entry blood vessel is exposed by minor surgical means. The term “proximal” as used herein refers to portions of the stent or delivery system relatively closer to the end outside of the body, whereas the term “distal” is used to refer to portions relatively closer to the end inside the body.

#The invention is best understood from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

#FIG. 1 is an illustration of a longitudinal section of an aorta having an aneurysm, showing an exemplary device of the present invention deployed therein; and

#FIG. 2 is an illustration of a longitudinal section of an aorta having an aneurysm, showing an exemplary device of the present invention deployed inside a portion of a bifurcated prosthesis.

#The invention will next be illustrated with reference to the figures wherein the same numbers indicate similar elements in all figures. Such figures are intended to be illustrative rather than limiting and are included herewith to facilitate the explanation of the apparatus of the present invention.

#Referring now to FIG. 1 there is shown a cross-section of an exemplary lumen 10 (in this case, an aorta) with an aneurysm 11 and having deployed therein a stent-graft 12 of the present invention. Stent-graft 12 is adapted for aorto-uni-iliac treatment of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and comprises a stent 14 and a graft 16. Graft 16, shown as an outer covering on stent 14 in FIG. 1, may comprise an inner lining or an outer covering, and stent 14 may have some combination of inner graft lining and outer graft covering. The portion of of graft 16 covering or lining stent 14 is referred to herein as the “supported” portion 27. Graft 16 extends proximally beyond the proximal end 26 of stent 14 to form an “unsupported” portion 28. Unsupported portion 28 may extend as long as desired, to allow it to be tailored by the clinician implanting stent-graft 12.

#Stent 14 may protrude from graft 16 at distal end 20 of stent-graft 12, such as to allow intraluminal tissue growth (not shown) to provide additional anchoring for the stent as is known in the art. As shown in FIG. 1, stent 14 comprises a hybrid stent having a wound distal end section 22, a braided midsection 24, and a braided proximal end. Hybrid braided/wound stents are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/442,165, filed Nov. 16, 1999, by Chouinard et al., assigned to the assignee of this invention and incorporated by reference. The particular architecture shown in FIG. 1 comprises a wound end section 22 comprising a hexagonal cell architecture. The term “midsection” may be used herein to refer to any portion of the stent-graft between the proximal and the distal ends.