Implantable prosthesis having reinforced attachment sites

1. An implantable graft comprising:

an elongate graft tube having opposed ends and a tubular wall therebetween having an inner wall layer comprising a first material and an outer wall layer comprising a second material different than the first material, the first material being expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) and the second material being a textile material, said outer wall layer being attached to said inner wall layer such that said outer wall layer directly contacts said inner wall layer, a portion of said outer wall layer defining an attachment site for attaching said graft tube to a stent; and

a reinforcement member attached to said outer wall layer such that said reinforcement member directly contacts said attachment site, said reinforcement member reinforcing said attachment site wherein said reinforcement member comprises a separate ring of material for strengthening the attachment site, said reinforcement member having a longitudinal dimension defined by opposed end edges which is less than a longitudinal dimension defined by the opposed ends of said graft tube.

2. The graft of claim 1 , wherein said stent is stitched to the graft.

3. The graft of claim 1 , wherein said stent is sutured to the graft.

4. The graft of claim 1 , wherein the textile material of the outer wall layer being a knitted material.

5. The graft of claim 1 , wherein said reinforcement member is a knitted textile material.

6. The graft of claim 1 , wherein said reinforcement member is a woven textile material.

7. The graft of claim 1 , wherein said reinforcement member is a braided textile material.

8. The graft of claim 1 , wherein said reinforcement member is an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePIFE).

9. The graft of claim 1 , wherein said reinforcement member is bonded to said graft with adhesive bonding.

10. The graft of claim 1 , wherein said reinforcement member is bonded to said graft with ultrasonic bonding.

11. The graft of claim 1 , and further comprising an elastomeric coating applied to said attachment site.

12. The graft of claim 1 , wherein the stent has an elongate structural member, said reinforcement member being shaped to define an enclosure for encapsulating the structural member.

13. The graft of claim 1 , wherein said end of said outer wall layer which defines said attachment site is folded.

14. The graft of claim 13 , wherein said reinforcement member is located within said folded end of said outer wall layer.

15. A graft, the graft comprising a tubular portion and at least one reinforcement member;

the tubular portion having a first end, a second end, an inner surface, an outer surface, a longitudinal length, the tubular portion comprising:

a first tube made of ePTFE; and

a second tube made of a textile material;

the first tube being bonded to the second tube by a layer of bonding agent;

each reinforcement member having a first surface, the entire first surface being bonded to a portion of one of the surfaces of the tubular portion, each reinforcement member being a ring made of a textile material, each reinforcement member having a longitudinal length less than the longitudinal length of the tubular portion.

16. The graft of claim 15 , a first surface of the first tube forming the inner surface of the tubular portion and a first surface of the second tube forming the outer surface of the tubular portion.

17. The graft of claim 15 , further comprising a stent, the stent being engaged to the graft at least one attachment site.

18. The graft of claim 17 , the stent being engaged to the inner surface of the tubular portion.

19. The graft of claim 17 , the stent being engaged to the at least one attachment site by stitching or suturing.

20. The graft of claim 17 , the at least one reinforcement member being engaged to or adjacent to the at least one attachment site.

21. The graft of claim 17 , the at least one attachment site comprising a first attachment site and a second attachment site, the first attachment site being positioned at the first end of the tubular portion and the second attachment site being positioned at the second end of the tubular portion.

22. The graft of claim 15 , the textile material being made of a synthetic yarn.

23. The graft of claim 22 , the synthetic yarn being selected from at least one member of the group consisting of polyesters, polypropylenes, polyethylenes, polyurethanes, polynaphthalenes, and polytetrafluoroethylenes.

24. The graft of claim 22 , the synthetic yarn of the second layer being a thermoplastic material.

25. The graft of claim 15 , the textile material of the second layer either being woven, knitted, or braided.

26. The graft of claim 15 , the textile material having a thickness of about 0.2 mm to about 0.4 mm.

27. The graft of claim 15 , the textile material having a burst strength from about 11 kg/cm 2 to about 16 kg/cm 2 .

28. The graft of claim 15 , the bonding agent being a biocompatible elastomeric bonding agent.

29. The graft of claim 15 , the at least one reinforcement member being engaged to the inner surface of the graft.

30. The graft of claim 15 , the at least one reinforcement member comprising a plurality of reinforcement members, at least one of the plurality of reinforcement members being engaged to the inner surface of the graft and at least one of the plurality of reinforcement members being engaged to the outer surface of the graft.

31. The graft of claim 15 , the at least one reinforcement member being engaged to the tubular portion adjacent to at least one of the ends of the tubular portion.