W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.

Thomas E Kariniemi

Edward H Cully

Jeffrey B Duncan

Jeffrey J Kustusch

Ryan D Kariniemi

Jared S Nelson

Edward Emil Shaw

Patrick M Norris

James L Goepfrich

William D Montgomery

A stent graft including a stent having a wall having at least one opening, an outer surface, and an inner surface and 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.

Elastic stent graft

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.

The present disclosure describes an assembly comprising a catheter, an expandable device in a collapsed configuration on the catheter, a first releasable sleeve coaxially covering a proximal portion of the device, and a second releasable sleeve coaxially covering a distal portion of the device, wherein first and second sleeves overlap and are rotatably constrained relative to each other, and wherein the second sleeve is rotatably constrained relative to the catheter. During deployment, rotation of the catheter causes rotation of the second sleeve and the device for angular radial orientation. After deployment, the first sleeve may remain implanted in the patient.

Torque sleeve

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Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America

Thomas E Kariniemi