Covered stent with encapsulated ends

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#Stents and similar endoluminal devices are currently used by medical practitioners to treat tubular body vessels or ducts that become so narrowed (stenosed) that flow of blood or other biological fluids is restricted. Such narrowing (stenosis) occurs, for example, as a result of the disease process known as arteriosclerosis. While stents are most often used to “prop open” blood vessels, they can also be used to reinforce collapsed or narrowed tubular structures in the respiratory system, the reproductive system, bile or liver ducts or any other tubular body structure. However, stents are generally mesh-like so that endothelial and other tissues can grow through the openings resulting in restenosis of the vessel.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

#FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the line 2-2.

#FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line 3-3.

#The following detailed description should be read with reference to the drawings, in which like elements in different drawings are identically numbered. The drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, depict selected preferred embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

#The detailed description illustrates by way of example, not by way of limitation, the principles of the invention. This description will clearly enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives and uses of the invention, including what is presently believed to be the best mode of carrying out the invention.

#The present invention satisfies the need for a covered stent device that is virtually as flexible as an uncovered stent. This is accomplished by covering a stent on a first surface while limited regions are covered on the opposite surface to ensure fixation of the first surface covering. Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention. A partially encapsulated stent-graft 10 is created by covering the abluminal surface of a stent 12 with a biocompatible barrier material that is able to seal fistulae and aneurysms and prevent or reduce tissue ingrowth from neointimal hyperplasia or tumor growth. In the preferred embodiment, the material used for this purpose is a tubular layer of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) 20. The preferred ePTFE is one optimized for bond strength as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,880. The stent 12 in the preferred embodiment is a shape memory alloy stent having geometry enhancing the stent's flexibility, although stents of a variety of designs are usable with the current invention because the inventive configuration minimizes the effect of the covering on stent flexibility. Also, the stent 12 can be made out of any type of material besides shape memory alloy.