Stented vascular graft
AssigneeW. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
InventorsEdward H. Cully, Deenu Kanjickal, Bret J. Kilgrow, Larry J. Kovach, Timothy T. Stringer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vascular graft incorporating a stent into a portion of its length. While various materials may be used for the vascular graft, the graft is preferably an ePTFE graft. The stent is preferably a self-expanding stent, although it may alternatively be a balloon expandable stent. The vascular graft preferably has a continuous inner tubular liner that extends between the opposing ends of the graft and provides a continuous luminal surface for blood contact that is uninterrupted by seams or joints. The length portion of the graft that does not include the stent has a greater wall thickness than does the portion including the stent.
Claims19
A method of making an implantable prosthesis comprising:
- a) providing a first tubular vascular graft having a length, an inside diameter and two ends, said length including a first length portion located at one end of the first tubular vascular graft and a second length portion extending for the remainder of the length of the graft excluding the first length portion, wherein the second length portion has a greater length than the first length portion;
- b) fitting a mandrel into the length of the first tubular vascular graft;
- c) fitting a stent coaxially over the first length portion of the first tubular vascular graft;
- d) fitting a second tubular vascular graft coaxially over the second length portion of the first tubular vascular graft;
- and
- e) removing the resulting construct from the mandrel.
A method of making an implantable prosthesis comprising:
- a. providing a first tubular vascular graft having a length, an inside diameter and at least two ends, said length including an end length portion located at each end of the first tubular vascular graft and a middle length portion extending between the at least two end length portions, wherein the middle length portion has a greater length than combined lengths of the end length portions;
- b. fitting a mandrel into the length of the first tubular vascular graft;
- c. fitting a stent coaxially over each of at least two end length portions of the first tubular vascular graft;
- d. fitting a second tubular vascular graft over the middle length portion of the first tubular vascular graft;
- and
- e. removing the resulting construct from the mandrel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.