Apparatus and Method for Mounting an External Scaffold to a Vascular Graft
AssigneeKips Bay Medical, Inc.
InventorsManuel A. Villafana, Eric E. Solien, Michael P. Winegar, Michael J. Urick
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Abstract
A method for securing a compliant scaffold to an outer surface of a vascular graft includes positioning the scaffold radially about an elongated support tube which includes first and second radially outwardly flared end portions respectively defining first and second open ends of the support tube. The method further includes pulling the vascular graft through a lumen of the support tube, and axially deploying the scaffold over the first end portion of the support tube and into compliant contact with the outer surface of the vascular graft.
Claims9
A method for securing a compliant scaffold to an outer surface of a vascular graft, said method comprising:
- (a) positioning said scaffold radially about an elongated support tube, said support tube having a main body portion with a first outer diameter, and first and second radially outwardly flared end portions respectively defining first and second open ends of said support tube;
- (b) ligating a first terminus of said vascular graft with a suture tie;
- (c) inserting a suture puller along a first axial direction into said first open end and through a lumen of said support tube;
- (d) coupling a grasping end of said suture puller to said suture tie;
- (e) retracting said suture puller along a second axial direction through said support tube lumen and out from said first open end, thereby pulling said first terminus of said vascular graft through said support tube lumen;
- (f) axially deploying said scaffold over said first end portion and into compliant contact with said outer surface of said vascular graft;
- (g) securing said scaffold to a location of said vascular graft at or adjacent to said first terminus;
- and
- (h) removing said scaffold from said support tube by axially displacing said support tube along said first axial direction with respect to said scaffold.
A support tube for use in securing a compliant scaffold to an outer surface of a vascular graft, said support tube comprising:
- (a) a cylindrical main body portion having a first outer diameter that is 80-100% of an unstressed inner diameter of said compliant scaffold;
- (b) first and second radially outwardly flared end portions respectively defining first and second open ends, said first and second end portions extending from said first outer diameter at said main body portion to a second outer diameter dimension at said first and second open ends, said second outer diameter dimension being between about 125% and 175% of said first outer diameter;
- and
- (c) a flare angle of between about 30° and 60°.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.