Gore Enterprise Holdings, Inc.

Medtronic, Inc.

Coalescent Surgical, Inc.

W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.

Charles T Maroney

Lilip Lau

William M Hartigan

Laurent B Schaller

John P Nguyen

Sharon S Lam

Liem Ho

Steve Golden

Sid Gandionco

Woonza M Rhee

Isidro Matias Gandionco

Phillip Drews

Kimberly A McCullough

Nga T Doan

The invention is a stent-graft device having a support component with multiple turns of an undulating member where the undulations have a number of apexes. The graft component of the device is substantially coaxial with the support component and is attached to the support component so as to allow a number of the support component's apexes to move relative to the graft.

Exterior supported self-expanding stent-graft

Apparatus and methods for performing an anastomosis. More particularly, the apparatus may be used to perform a single or multiple anastomosis with the ability of maintaining fluid flow (e.g., blood) through the anastomosis vessel according to one aspect of the invention.

Apparatus and methods for anastomosis

A tissue connector assembly comprising a clip movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration and a mechanical restraining device attached to the clip for restraining the clip in its open configuration. A needle may be releasably attached to the clip. A method for connecting tissues is also disclosed. The method includes inserting a clip through tissue with the clip being biased in an open position by a restraining device secured to the clip, and removing the restraining device from the clip.

Tissue connector apparatus and methods

Procedures for introducing stents and stent-grafts

This is a medical device and a method of using it. The device is a foldable stent-graft which may be percutaneously delivered with (or on) an endovascular catheter, via surgical techniques or using other suitable techniques and then expanded. The stent-graft uses a kink-resistant stent structure and an interior graft which is attached to the stent in such a way that the graft does not kink and yet the stent is able to conform to curves in the blood vessel lumen. The expandable stent structure preferably has a helically deployed torsional member with an undulating shape which is wound to form the generally cylindrical shape deployed as the stent. The helical winding desirably is aligned to allow undulations in adjacent turns of the helix to be in phase. The adjacent undulating shapes are held in that phased relationship using a flexible linkage, typically made of a polymeric material. The graft component cooperating with the stent is tubular and mounted on the interior of the stent. Although it may be made of any variety of materials, it preferably is an expanded polyfluorocarbon. The graft component may be bound to the flexible linkage which holds the stent windings in phase (or the stent structure itself) at a number of sliding attachment points.

The present invention relates to a stent-graft where the stent is formed from a self-expanding material and is coaxially and slidably coupled to the graft component which contains collagen. At least one flexible linkage is provided for coupling the stent and graft together in the slidable manner.

This invention is a medical device and a method of using it. The device is a foldable stent or stent-graft which may be percutaneously delivered with (or on) an endovascular catheter or via surgical techniques or using other suitable techniques. The expandable stent structure utilizes at least one torsional member having an undulating shape which is helically deployed to form the generally cylindrical shape used as the stent. The helical winding desirably is aligned to allow those undulating shapes in adjacent turns of the helix to be in phase. The adjacent undulating shapes may be held in phased relationship using a flexible linkage, often made of a polymeric material. The stent may be flared on at least one of its ends to promote smooth blood flow at that flare and to assure that the stent will remain in the chosen position within the body. The stent's configuration allows it to be folded or collapsed to a very small diameter prior to deployment without changing the length of the stent. The stent may be expanded with the use of an installation device such as a balloon but preferably is used as a self-expandable device.

Self-expandable helical intravascular stent and stent-graft

This invention is a medical device and a method of using it. The device is a foldable stent or stent-graft which may be percutaneously delivered with (or on) a catheter, typically an endovascular catheter, to a body cavity or lumen and then expanded. It may also be delivered or via surgical (or other) techniques. The expandable stent structure utilizes torsional members which distribute bending and folding loads in such a way that the stent is not plastically deformed. The stent's configuration allows it to be folded or otherwise compressed to a very small diameter prior to deployment without changing the length of the stent. The graft component cooperating with the stent is tubular and preferably is blood-compatible material which may, if desired, be reinforced with fibers. The stent is able to provide collapsible support for otherwise frangible graft material. The invention also involves procedures for folding stents and for deploying stents or stent-grafts which have been folded, bound, or otherwise collapsed to significantly smaller diameters for insertion into a human or animal body. When used with super-elastic alloys, the stent may be collapsed at a convenient temperature either above or, preferably, below the transition temperature of the alloy.

The present invention relates to a process for deploying a folded stent or stent-graft in a lumen. The stent or stent graft is maintained in the folded configuration by a slip line that is attached to the folded stent or stent-graft, along a longitudinal fold edge. The folded stent or stent-graft is inserted into a lumen and the slip line is axially moved along a longitudinal line to allow the folded stent or stent-graft to expand to its enlarged, deployed configuration.

A device which includes at least a tubular stent member which if formed from a helically wrapped undulating member and a coupling member which extends through undulations of adjacent turns of the helically wrapped undulating member and is movable along the undulations, the device is foldable into a lumen deployable configuration and may also include a coaxially positioned graft member.

This invention is a method of using a medical device. The device is a foldable stent or stent-graft which may be percutaneously delivered with (or on) a catheter, typically an endovascular catheter, to a body cavity or lumen and then expanded. The expandable stent structure utilizes torsional members which distribute bending and folding loads in such a way that the stent is not plastically deformed. The stent's configuration allows it to be folded or otherwise compressed to a very small diameter prior to deployment without changing the length of the stent. The graft component cooperating with the stent is tubular and preferably is blood-compatible material which may, if desired, be reinforced with fibers. The stent is able to provide collapsible support for otherwise frangible graft material. When used with super-elastic alloys, the stent may be collapsed at a convenient temperature either above or, preferably, below the transition temperature of the alloy. The deployment procedures may involve the use of an outer sleeve to maintain the stent or stent-graft at a reduced diameter or may involve one or more external or internal 'slip-lines' or 'tether wires' to hold and then to release the device.

Growing community of inventors

Portola Valley, CA, United States of America

Charles T Maroney