St. Jude Medical Atg, Inc.

St. Jude Medical Cardiovascular Group, Inc.

St. Jude Medical, Cardiology Division, Inc.

Mark D Wahlberg

Todd Allen Berg

Alex Alden Peterson

Jon St Germain

Paul Hindrichs

Jason A Galdonik

William J Swanson

Scott Patrick Thome

Daniel J Sullivan

Gregory Alan Boldenow

Matthew W Baker

A medical graft connector for connecting an end of a tubular graft conduit to a side wall of a patient's existing tubular body conduit via an aperture in the side wall thereof has a first plurality of fingers configured to engage an interior surface of the side wall of the existing conduit. A second plurality of fingers is configured to engage an exterior surface of the side wall of the existing conduit. A third plurality of fingers is received in an interior lumen of the graft conduit, and a fourth plurality of fingers is configured to pierce the graft conduit. The connector is radially deformable between a first size and a second size.

Medical graft connector and methods of making and installing same

A medical graft connector or plug is made, for example, by cutting end portions of a tube of highly elastic material axially at numerous locations spaced circumferentially around the tube to produce a plurality of fingers which extend axially from each end of an uncut medial portion of the tube. The fingers are deflected radially outwardly from the medial portion and set in that condition. For a graft connector, the medial portion is coaxially connected to an end portion of a tubular graft. The connector is then installed through an aperture in the side wall of a patient's tubular body conduit, for example, by using a delivery tube in which the fingers are elastically deflected back to approximately their initial positions. When the delivery conduit is withdrawn from the connector, the fingers spring out to engage the inner and outer surfaces of the body conduit wall. For a plug, the medial portion is occluded and then the structure is installed through the aperture to be plugged in a manner similar to installation of the connector.

Medical graft connector or plug structures, and methods of making and installing same

A medical graft connector for connecting an end of a tubular graft conduit to a side wall of a patient's existing tubular body conduit via an aperture in the side wall thereof has a plurality of fingers configured to engage an interior surface of the side wall of the existing conduit. At least one of the plurality of fingers has an end portion configured to pierce the graft conduit. The plurality of fingers is substantially radially aligned with respect to a longitudinal axis and wherein the connector is radially enlargeable between a first size and a second size.

Medical graft connector

A connector for use in providing an anastomotic connection between two tubular body fluid conduits in a patient. The connector is preferably a single, integral, plastically deformable structure that can be cut from a tube. The connector has axial spaced portions that include members that are radially outwardly deflectable from other portions of the connector. The connector is annularly enlargeable so that it can be initially delivered and installed in the patient in a relatively small annular size and then annularly enlarged to provide the completed anastomosis. The radially outwardly deflected members of the first and second portions respectively engage the two body fluid conduits connected at the anastomosis and hold those two conduits together in fluid-tight engagement. Apparatus for use in delivering and deploying a connector is also disclosed.

Medical anastomosis apparatus

A medical graft assembly for connecting an end of a tubular graft conduit to a side wall of a patient's existing tubular body conduit via an aperture in the side wall thereof with a connector. The connector has a first plurality of fingers configured to engage an interior surface of the side wall of the existing conduit. A second plurality of fingers is configured to engage an exterior surface of the side wall of the existing conduit. A third plurality of fingers is received in an interior lumen of the graft conduit, and a fourth plurality of fingers is configured to pierce the graft conduit. The connector is radially deformable between a first size and a second size.

Medical graft assembly

A bypass graft conduit is installed in the circulatory system of a patient using apparatus which facilitates performing most or all of the necessary work intraluminally (i.e., via lumens of the patient's circulatory system). A guide structure such as a wire is installed in the patient via circulatory system lumens so that a portion of the guide structure extends along the desired path of the bypass conduit, which bypass conduit path is outside the circulatory system as it exists prior to installation of the bypass graft. The bypass graft is then introduced into the patient along the guide structure and connected at each of its ends to the circulatory system using connectors that form fluid-tight annular openings from the bypass graft lumen into the adjacent circulatory system lumens. The guide structure is then pulled out of the patient.

Growing community of inventors

Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Mark D Wahlberg