Intraluminal graft assembly and vessel repair system
View Patent ↗An intraluminal graft assembly is provided. In one embodiment, the assembly comprises a support frame having first, radially smaller and second, radially larger configurations. A graft is attached to the support frame at one end by connectors and is not connected to the other end. The graft extends along only a fractional length of the support frame when in the first configuration, and substantially along the entire length of the support frame when in the second configuration. A vessel repair system is also provided. In the system, a driving member is positioned to force the support frame from the first configuration to the second configuration.
1. An intraluminal graft assembly, comprising:
a support frame comprising a tubular structure of woven threads having an upstream end, a downstream end, a first configuration with a first length and a first diameter, and a second configuration with a second length that is shorter than the first length and a second diameter that is larger than the first diameter;
at least one connector on the upstream end of the support frame; and
a graft disposed on the support frame, wherein an upstream end of the graft is attached to the upstream end of the support frame by the at least one connector, the graft extending only along a fractional length of the first length of the support frame and a downstream end of the graft is not connected to the support frame, the graft thereby not extending beyond the downstream end of the support frame in the first configuration,
wherein the graft has a thickness and defines an opening through the thickness, and wherein the connector passes through the opening,
wherein the support frame is formed of at least two frame threads having terminal ends, and wherein the connector comprises:
1) a barb formed of the terminal ends of the two frame threads twisted together, and
2) a single tapered point connecting the terminal ends of the at least two frame threads thereby creating a single point at the upstream end of the connector,
wherein the barb extends through a single hole in the graft such that a portion of the barb where the two frame threads join is disposed radially inward of the graft and a portion of the barb including the single tapered point is disposed radially outward of the graft.
2. The graft assembly of claim 1 , wherein the graft extends substantially along the second length of the support frame.
3. The graft assembly of claim 1 , wherein the connector comprises a suture passed through the graft and around a portion of the support frame.
4. The graft assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fractional length of the graft is approximately ¼, ½, or ¾ of the first length.
5. The graft assembly of claim 1 , wherein the graft comprises SIS.