Vascular prosthesis and methods of use
The present invention is directed to an implantable vascular prosthesis configured for use in a wide range of applications, such as treating aneurysms, maintaining patency in a vessel, and allowing for the controlled delivery of therapeutic agents to a vessel wall. The prosthesis comprises one or more helical sections coupled to one or more anchoring sections having a generally zig-zag or cell-like configuration. The prosthesis is configured to conform to a vessel wall without substantially remodeling the vessel, and further is configured to be precisely deployed in a vessel without shifting or foreshortening during deployment.
1. A vascular prosthesis for implantation in a body vessel having a vessel wall, the vascular prosthesis comprising:
first and second coil-shaped helical elements each having distal and proximal ends;
the first and second coil shaped helical elements being ribbon type, coil shaped helical elements, each helical element having a width and a thickness with the width being substantially greater than the thickness;
the first coil-shaped helical element extending more than 360° about a longitudinal axis of the prosthesis;
the second coil-shaped helical element extending more than 360° about the longitudinal axis of the prostheses, the second coil-shaped helical element having an opposite direction of rotation to that of the first coil-shaped helical element;
the first and second coil-shaped helical elements arranged in series with the entire first coil-shaped helical element being proximal of the second coil-shaped helical element and with the distal end of the first coil-shaped helical element secured to the proximal end of the second coil-shaped helical element; and
an anchor section securing the distal end of the first coil-shaped helical element to the proximal end of the second coil-shaped helical element, the anchor section comprising a closed band extending 360° circumferentially.
2. The vascular prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein:
the first and second coil-shaped helical elements are self expanding to engage the vessel wall in an expanded state.
3. The vascular prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein:
the first and second coil-shaped helical elements are unwindingly self-expanding helical elements to engage the vessel wall in an expanded state.
4. The vascular prosthesis of claim 1 , further comprising more than two coil-shaped helical elements arranged in series.
5. The vascular prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein the first coil-shaped helical element and second coil-shaped helical element have equal lengths.
6. The vascular prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein each of said first and second coil-shaped helical elements comprises a single length of material.
7. The vascular prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein the anchor section comprises a radially self-expanding anchor section.
8. The vascular prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein the first and second coil-shaped helical elements are configured in a contracted state suitable for transluminal insertion into the body vessel, the first and second coil-shaped helical elements being capable of expanding to engage the vessel wall.
9. The vascular prosthesis of claim 1 , further comprising a radially self-expanding anchor section joined to an end of a coil-shaped helical element.
10. The vascular prosthesis of claim 9 , wherein the anchor section is configured to engage the vessel wall to retain the vascular prosthesis in position during deployment of the coil-shaped helical elements.
11. The vascular prosthesis of claim 9 , wherein the coil-shaped helical elements and the anchor section each comprise a shape memory material.
12. The vascular prosthesis of claim 11 , wherein the shape memory material is a nickel titanium alloy.
13. The vascular prosthesis of claim 9 , wherein the coil-shaped helical elements and the anchor section are made separately and then coupled together.
14. The vascular prosthesis of claim 1 , further comprising a distal, radially self-expanding anchor section joined to the distal end of the second coil-shaped helical element.
15. The vascular prosthesis of claim 14 , wherein the distal anchor section is configured to be deployed within the body vessel before the coil-shaped helical elements are deployed.
16. The vascular prosthesis of claim 14 , further comprising a proximal, radially self-expanding anchor section joined to the proximal end of the first coil-shaped helical element.
17. The vascular prosthesis of claim 16 , wherein the anchor sections each comprise a plurality of elongated elements having a generally zig-zag configuration.