Elastic stent graft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022331089-A1
Application number	US-202217741774-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 11, 2022
Priority date	Nov 13, 2012
Publication date	Oct 20, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A stent graft including (1) a stent having a wall having at least one opening, an outer surface, and an inner surface and (2) a covering of a composite material having a least one expanded fluoropolymer membrane and an elastomer is provided. The cover can be used to cover the outer and/or the inner surface of the stent. The expanded fluoropolymer membrane contains serpentine fibrils. In exemplary embodiments, the fluoropolymer is polytetrafluoroethylene. The composite material may be axially and/or circumferentially wrapped around the stent. The composite material is fold-free throughout its operating diameter range and exhibits a sharp increase in stiffness at a predetermined diameter. The stent graft can be designed to have a stop point in either a radial or axial direction. The stent graft can advantageously be implanted undersized with respect to a nominal diameter without having material infolding.

First claim

1 .- 22 . (canceled)

23 . A method of assembling an implantable medical device onto a delivery system, the method comprising:
reducing an implantable medical device from a nominal diameter to a compacted diameter for assembly onto a delivery system, the implantable medical device including an implantable tubular member supported by a tubular support member, the implantable tubular member being substantially wrinkle-free at the compacted diameter.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the implantable tubular member that is substantially wrinkle-free at the compacted diameter includes a composite material including an expanded fluoropolymer membrane and an elastomer.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the expanded fluoropolymer membrane includes expanded polytetrafluoroethylene.

26 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the expanded fluoropolymer membrane includes serpentine fibrils, wherein each serpentine fibril curves or turns generally one way and then generally in another way.

27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the expanded fluoropolymer membrane comprises a microstructure including fibrils, the fibrils being substantially only serpentine fibrils.

28 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the serpentine fibrils have a width greater than 0 micron and less than about 1.0 micron.

29 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the serpentine fibrils have a width greater than 0 micron and less than about 0.5 micron.

30 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the compacted diameter is about 80% of the nominal diameter.

31 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the implantable medical device is substantially wrinkle-free before reducing to the compacted diameter.

32 . A method of deploying an implantable tubular member, the method comprising:
expanding an implantable tubular member from a nominal diameter to an expanded diameter, the implantable tubular member including a microstructure of serpentine fibrils, the serpentine fibrils substantially straightening while the implantable tubular member is expanding until reaching a stop point, the stop point being configured to create a sharp increase in stiffness such that the implantable tubular member does not further expand after reaching the stop point.

33 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the stop point is in either a radial or axial direction.

34 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the implantable tubular member is substantially wrinkle-free at the expanded diameter.

35 . The method of claim 32 , wherein during expansion of the implantable tubular member, the stop point is reached at a predetermined diameter.

36 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the expanded diameter is about 80% or greater than the nominal diameter

37 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the stop point is at a diameter greater than the nominal diameter.

38 . A method of delivering an implantable tubular member into a body conduit of a patient, the method comprising:
deploying the implantable tubular member into the body conduit when the implantable tubular member is in a contracted configuration, the implantable tubular member including a composite material including an expanded fluoropolymer membrane and an elastomer, the expanded fluoropolymer membrane including a microstructure including fibrils, the fibrils being serpentine fibrils; moving the implantable tubular member to the repair site within the body conduit; and expanding the implantable tubular member from the contracted configuration to an expanded configuration, the implantable tubular member being substantially wrinkle-free at the expanded configuration.

39 . The method of claim 38 , wherein each serpentine fibril curves or turns generally one way and then generally in another way.

40 . The method of claim 38 , wherein the serpentine fibrils have a width greater than 0 micron and less than about 1.0 micron.

41 . The method of claim 38 , wherein the serpentine fibrils have a width greater than 0 micron and less than about 0.5 micron.

42 . The method of claim 38 , wherein implantable tubular member has an expanded diameter in the expanded configuration, the expanded diameter being about 80% or greater than a nominal diameter of the implantable tubular member.

Assignees

• Gore & Ass

Inventors

• Cully Edward H
• Duncan Jeffrey B
• Kariniemi Ryan D
• Kariniemi Thomas E
• Kustusch Jeffrey J
• Nelson Jared S

Classifications

• A61F2/07 Primary

  Stent-grafts · CPC title

• A61L31/048

  obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds (A61L31/041 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61F2002/072

  Encapsulated stents, e.g. wire or whole stent embedded in lining · CPC title