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US 5,042,161 AGranted
Intravascular sizing method and apparatus
OwnerJoseph Hodgeinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for sizing an intravascular graft which is to be secured on an existing vascular vessel. A sizing gauge having a handle with at least one sizing element of known diameter secured to an end of same is provided. Sizing elements of known diameter are inserted into the lumen of a vessel being grafted, one at a time, until one of a sizing element fits snugly in the lumen. A premanufactured graft is then selected according to the size of the snug-fitting sizing element.
Claims3
An intravascular sizing gauge comprising:
- an elongated generally cylindrical handle member, said handle member having flat portions along at least a portion of the length of same for engagement by fingers of a user;
- and a series of cylindrical sizing portions located at each end of said handle member, said sizing portions being integral with said handle and defining continuous uninterrupted surfaces thereabout, said sizing portions of each series being immediately contiguous and decreasing in diameter towards an outer free end of same, each of said sizing portions having a different known diameter and a beveled edge around an end of same away from said handle member, a forward end of each next adjacent sizing portion defining a shoulder at a rear end of the sizing portion located outwardly with respect to same, said sizing portions being of such length that same are receivable within a vascular lumen for determining diameter and cross-section of the lumen, and said outermost sizing portion on each end defining a generally smooth flat surface across the outer free end of same.
An intravascular sizing gauge comprising:
- an elongated handle member, and a series of cylindrical sizing portions located at each end of said handle member, said sizing portions being integral with said handle and defining continuous uninterrupted surfaces thereabout, said sizing portions of each series being immediately contiguous and decreasing in diameter towards an outer free end of same, each of said sizing portions having a different known diameter and a beveled edge around an end of same away from said handle member, a forward end of each next adjacent sizing portion defining a shoulder at a rear end of the sizing portion located outwardly with respect to same, said sizing portions being of such length that same are receivable within a vascular lumen for determining diameter and cross-section of the lumen, and said outermost sizing portion on each end defining a generally smooth flat surface across the outer free end of same.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.