Expandable stent-graft covered with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene

An expandable prosthesis comprising:

• (a) a discontinuous wall defining a lumen adapted to assume a radially contracted position and a radially expanded position;
• and
• (b) at least one tubular layer of an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene defining spaced-apart nodes interconnected by circumferentially directed fibrils, said nodes having a first average circumferential inter-nodule distance in a free state, the layer of polytetrafluoroethylene affixed to the wall such that it has a second average circumferential inter-nodule distance when the wall is in the radially contracted state, the second average circumferential inter-nodule distance being less than the first average circumferential inter-nodule distance said fibrils being circumferentially extended in said free state and being folded in said radially contracted state.

An expandable prosthesis comprising:

• (a) a discontinuous wall generally defining a lumen adapted to assume a longitudinally expanded position and a longitudinally contracted position;
• and
• (b) at least one layer of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene defining spaced apart nodes interconnected by longitudinally directed fibrils, said nodes having a first average longitudinal inter-nodule distance in a free state, the layer of polytetrafluoroethylene affixed to the wall such that the polytetrafluoroethylene has a second average longitudinal inter-nodule distance between 0 and 99 percent of the first average longitudinal inter-nodule distance when the wall is in the longitudinally contracted position said second average longitudinal inter-nodule distance being defined by said longitudinally directed fibrils being folded.

An expandable prothesis comprising:

• (a) a discontinuous wall generally defining a lumen adapted to assume a radially expanded position and a radially contracted position;
• and
• (b) at least one layer of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene defining spaced apart nodes interconnected by circumferentially directed fibrils, said nodes having a first average circumferential inter-nodule distance in a free state, the layer of polytetrafluoroethylene affixed to the wall such that the polytetrafluoroethylene has a second average circumferential inter-nodule distance less than about 50 percent of the first average circumferential inter-nodule distance when the wall is in the radially contracted position said second average circumferential inter-nodule distance being defined by said circumferentially directed fibrils being folded.

An expandable prosthesis comprising:

• (a) a discontinuous wall defining a lumen adapted to assume a radially expanded position and a radially contracted position;
• and
• (b) at least one layer of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene defining spaced apart nodes interconnected by longitudinally and circumferentially directed fibrils, said nodes having a first average longitudinal inter-nodule distance and a first average circumferential inter-nodule distance in a free state, the layer of the polytetrafluoroethylene affixed to the wall such that the polytetrafluoroethylene has a second average longitudinal inter-nodule distance between 0 and 99 percent of the first average longitudinal inter-nodule distance when the wall is in the radially expanded position and a second average circumferential inter-nodule distance less than about 50 percent of the first average circumferential inter-nodule distance when the wall is in the radially contracted position said second average longitudinal and circumferentially inter-nodule distance being defined by said fibrils being folded.