Vascular implant and method for the production thereof

1 . A method for producing a vascular implant, comprising the following steps:

obtaining vessel parameters;

creating a computer-aided model of a vascular implant based on the obtained vessel parameters, wherein the vascular implant comprises one or more modules, each comprising at least one tubular liner body;

selecting one or more structural elements of a respective module from the group consisting of: one or more diameter changes along at least one tubular liner body, one or more bifurcations, one or more branches, one or more recesses, and one or more local reinforcements, wherein the one or more selected structural elements comprise one or more recesses;

determining parameters relating to the one or more selected structural elements;

integrating the structural elements into the computer-aided model according to the determined parameters;

producing the vascular implant on the basis of the created computer-aided model,

wherein the vascular implant is textile and/or textile-based, and

wherein the vascular implant is produced by warp knitting the vascular implant using a jacquard technique on the basis of the created computer-aided model; and

thermoforming and/or heat setting the vascular implant in order to expand the one or more recesses.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein producing the vascular implant comprises integrally warp knitting the vascular implant comprising at least one module each comprising at least one tubular liner body and respective one or more structural elements.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vascular implant comprises one or more bifurcations and/or one or more branches, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

determining positions of separating threads and a corresponding local stitch construction change;

introducing the separating threads and the corresponding local stitch construction change during the production of the vascular implant; and

separating the separating threads of the produced vascular implant.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the vascular implant comprises one or more bifurcations and/or one or more branches, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

determining the geometry and stitch construction change at the transition from the main liner body to the at least one bifurcation and/or at least one branch.

5 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the separating threads are individual wales that are not connected to other wales by an underlap.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one recess is a fenestration, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

determining positions of at least one local reinforcement at the edges of the at least one recess; and

incorporating at least one local reinforcement during the production of the vascular implant, wherein the local reinforcement comprises a change in stitch construction.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vascular implant comprises one or more diameter changes along at least one tubular liner body, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

determining parameters relating to thread tension, thread count, course density and/or stitch size.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vascular implant comprises one or more diameter changes along at least one tubular liner body, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

determining positions of separating threads and a corresponding local stitch construction change; incorporating the separating threads and the corresponding local stitch construction change during the production of the vascular implant; and separating the separating threads of the produced vascular implant.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the separating threads are individual wales that are not connected to other wales by an underlap.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

obtaining pre-operative medical image data of a vessel;

visualizing the obtained image data;

identifying a vessel section for which the vascular implant is to be produced; and

measuring vessel parameters.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the computer-aided model comprises a 3D model and/or a machine-readable file, wherein the step of producing the vascular implant is performed on the basis of the machine-readable file.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising application of a stent structure onto the produced vascular implant and/or of a valve at the produced vascular implant.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the stent structure is printed onto the vascular implant.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more diameter changes are produced in the step of thermoforming and/or heat setting the vascular implant.

15 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the angle of one or more bifurcations and/or branches relative to a main direction of extension of the vascular implant is fixed and/or modified in the step of thermoforming and/or heat setting the vascular implant.

16 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vascular implant is a stent graft.

17 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vascular implant comprises at least one first module with one or more bifurcations and at least one second module forming an iliac vessel graft.

18 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vascular implant comprises at least one recess, wherein the at least one recess is a scallop, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

determining positions of at least one local reinforcement at the edges of the at least one recess;

determining positions of separating threads;

incorporating at least one local reinforcement and incorporating separating threads during the production of the vascular implant, wherein the local reinforcement comprises a change in stitch construction; and

separating the separating threads of the produced vascular implant.

19 . The method according to claim 18 , wherein the separating threads are individual wales that are not connected to other wales by an underlap, and wherein the change in stitch construction is a two needle overlap.

20 . A method for producing a vascular implant, comprising the following steps:

obtaining vessel parameters;

creating a computer-aided model of a vascular implant based on the obtained vessel parameters, wherein the vascular implant comprises one or more modules, each comprising at least one tubular liner body;

selecting one or more structural elements of a respective module from the group consisting of: one or more diameter changes along at least one tubular liner body, one or more bifurcations, one or more branches, one or more recesses, and one or more local reinforcements;

determining parameters relating to the one or more selected structural elements;

integrating the structural elements into the computer-aided model according to the determined parameters;

producing the vascular implant on the basis of the created computer-aided model, wherein the vascular implant is textile and/or textile-based, and wherein the vascular implant is produced by warp knitting the vascular implant using a jacquard technique on the basis of the created computer-aided model; and

placing and/or clamping the vascular implant onto a holder with a pre-stretch of at least 20% and thermoforming and/or heat setting the pre-stretched vascular implant.

21 . A method for producing a vascular implant, comprising the following steps:

obtaining vessel parameters;

creating a computer-aided model of a vascular implant based on the obtained vessel parameters, wherein the vascular implant comprises one or more modules, each comprising at least one tubular liner body;

selecting one or more structural elements of a respective module from the group consisting of: one or more diameter changes along at least one tubular liner body, one or more bifurcations, one or more branches, one or more recesses, and one or more local reinforcements, wherein the one or more selected structural elements comprise one or more recesses, and wherein the at least one recess is a fenestration;

determining parameters relating to the one or more selected structural elements;

integrating the structural elements into the computer-aided model according to the determined parameters;

producing the vascular implant on the basis of the created computer-aided model, wherein the vascular implant is textile and/or textile-based, and wherein the vascular implant is produced by warp knitting the vascular implant using a jacquard technique on the basis of the created computer-aided model;

determining positions of at least one local reinforcement at the edges of the at least one recess; and

incorporating at least one local reinforcement during the production of the vascular implant, wherein the local reinforcement comprises a change in stitch construction.