Apparatus and methods for vascular treatment

A method for treating a stenosed region in a vascular vessel of a patient, comprising:

• introducing a shielding device into the vascular vessel, the shielding device including a longitudinally unsupported tube of remodelable extracellular matrix material having barbs which perforate the tube;
• attaching the tube of remodelable extracellular matrix material to the vascular vessel with said barbs so that said barbs enter tissue of said vascular vessel and are upstream of the stenosed region;
• shielding the stenosed region of the vascular vessel with the tube of remodelable extracellular matrix material while the tube of extracellular matrix material is attached to the vascular vessel with the barbs;
• introducing a dilation balloon into the tube of remodelable extracellular matrix material while the tube of extracellular matrix material is attached to the vascular vessel with the barbs;
• and
• expanding the dilation balloon within the longitudinally unsupported tube of remodelable extracellular matrix material so as to expand said tube and the stenosed region.

A method for both treating and inducing repair at a stenosed region of a blood vessel, comprising:

• introducing a device into the blood vessel, the device including an unsupported sleeve segment comprised of an extracellular matrix material effective to induce repair of the blood vessel and barbs which perforate the sleeve segment, the blood vessel having an interior surface;
• positioning the unsupported sleeve segment comprised of an extracellular matrix material so as to pass through the stenosed region and shield at least a portion of the interior surface of the blood vessel on either side of the stenosed region from blood flow, with said barbs entering tissue of the blood vessel upstream of the stenosed region;
• and
• after said positioning the unsupported sleeve segment, positioning a dilation balloon at the stenosed region and within the unsupported sleeve segment comprised of an extracellular matrix material;
• and
• expanding the dilation balloon to an expanded state while positioned at the stenosed region so as to force the unsupported sleeve segment comprised of an extracellular matrix material against the stenosed region and dilate said sleeve segment and the stenosed region;
• wherein while the dilation balloon is in the expanded state, the unsupported sleeve segment comprised of an extracellular matrix material is effectively positioned to trap emboli generated during said expanding;
• and
• wherein after said expanding, the unsupported sleeve segment comprised of extracellular matrix material remains in the blood vessel so as to induce repair of the blood vessel at the stenosed region.

A method of both treating a stenosed region of the interior surface of a blood vessel and inducing repair of the region, comprising:

• introducing a device into the blood vessel, the device including a tubular first member at least partially comprised of an extracellular matrix material, said tubular first member having first and second ends, said tubular first member being unsupported between said first end and said second end;
• inserting said device into said vessel so that said tubular first member shields at least a portion of the stenosed region of the interior surface from blood flow;
• and
• introducing a dilation balloon into said tubular first member after inserting said device, and inflating at least a portion of said balloon against said unsupported tubular first member so that said balloon expands said unsupported tubular first member and the stenosed region and maintains the stenosis out of blood flow;
• wherein when said balloon has been removed, said unsupported tubular first member remains adjacent with the stenosed region and is effective to induce remodeling of the stenosed region.