US 6,099,558 A · Intraluminal grafting of a bifuricated artery

Abstract

A method for positioning an intraluminal graft within a branching vessel in a patient's body is described. The method is particularly applicable to the appropriate positioning of a trouser graft so that it bridges an aneurism which extends from a single vessel, such as the aorta, into one or more divergent vessels, for example, an iliac artery. The method can comprise the steps a of placing a first graft (10), that bifurcates in a pair of tubular sections (19a, 19b) into the pre-branching portion of a vessel (11) through one of the post-branching portions of the vessel (12, 13), positioning a second tubular graft (10b) into one of the post-branching portions (12) and connecting it to one of the tubular sections of the first graft (19a), and positioning a third tubular graft (10a) into the other of the post-branching portions (11) and connecting it to the other of the tubular sections of the first graft (19b).

Claims24

Dependent claims

A method for positioning a bifurcated graft across a distended region of a main vessel adjacent a bifurcation of the main vessel into an ipsilateral vessel and a contralateral vessel, the method comprising:

introducing a catheter pre-packaged with a bifurcated graft therein into the ipsilateral vessel and then into the main vessel to a point beyond the distended region, the bifurcated graft having a tubular main portion branching into two tubular extensions at a bifurcation point, namely, an ipsilateral extension and a contralateral extension;
deploying the bifurcated graft from within the catheter so that the tubular main portion contacts the walls of the main vessel at a point beyond the distended region and the tubular extensions are located within the distended region and pointing toward respective ipsilateral and contralateral vessels;
delivering a flexible guidewire through the ipsilateral vessel and ipsilateral extension and causing it to deflect around the bifurcation point into the contralateral extension and then into contralateral vessel;
deploying a tubular contralateral graft through the contralateral vessel using the flexible guidewire;
engaging a first end of the contralateral graft with the contralateral extension;
engaging a second end of the contralateral graft with the contralateral vessel;
deploying a tubular ipsilateral graft through the ipsilateral vessel;
engaging a first end of the ipsilateral graft with the ipsilateral extension;
and
engaging a second end of the ipsilateral graft with the ipsilateral vessel.

7 more elements

A bifurcated graft assembly for bridging a distended region of a main vessel adjacent a bifurcation of the main vessel into two branching vessels, the assembly comprising:

a. a bifurcated graft having a tubular main portion branching into two tubular extensions at a bifurcation point, the bifurcated graft including a graft body reinforced with a plurality of separate and spaced apart wires in the main portion and tubular extensions, wherein at least the wires in the main portion are woven through the graft body, and at least a wire at the ends of the tubular extensions is self-expanding;
and
b. at least one tubular graft sized to connect between one of the tubular extensions of the bifurcated graft and the respective branching vessel, the tubular graft having a graft body reinforced with wires, wherein a wire in a first end of the tubular graft is balloon-expandable, the first end of the tubular graft being overlapped within and being capable of outward expansion into frictional engagement with the end of the tubular extension to form the graft assembly.

A bifurcated graft assembly for bridging a distended region of a main vessel adjacent a bifurcation of the main vessel into two branching vessels, the assembly comprising:

a. a bifurcated graft having a tubular main portion branching into two tubular extensions at a bifurcation point, the bifurcated graft including a bifurcated graft body reinforced with a plurality of separate and spaced apart wires in the main portion and tubular extensions each of which has a generally closed sinusoidal shape, at least one wire at the ends of each of the tubular extensions is self-expanding, a first wire being located adjacent to the end of the main portion of the bifurcated graft body such that alternate apices of the first wire projects beyond at least part of the end;
and
b. at least one tubular graft sized to connect between one of the tubular extensions of the bifurcated graft and the respective branching vessel, the tubular graft having a graft body reinforced with wires, wherein a wire in a first end of the tubular graft is balloon-expandable, the first end of the tubular graft being overlapped within and being capable of outward expansion into frictional engagement with the end of the tubular extension to form the graft assembly.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Intraluminal grafting of a bifuricated artery

Life of this patent

Intraluminal grafting of a bifuricated artery

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24