Intravascular cuff
An intravascular cuff acts as a lining between a native vessel and an intravascular prosthetic device. During deployment, the ends of the cuff curl back upon themselves and are capable of trapping native tissue, such as valve leaflet tissue, between the ends. The cuff creates a seal between the vessel and the prosthetic, thereby preventing leakage around the prosthetic. The cuff also traps any embolic material dislodged from the vessel during expansion of the prosthetic.
1. A method of preventing leakage between a prosthetic valve and a vessel wall comprising:
deploying a self-expanding mesh cuff having at least two-ply in a vessel prior to implanting the prosthetic valve, said mesh cuff including a center body portion and two end portions on either side of the center body portion;
allowing the end portions to expand and form a seal against a wall of the vessel wall while the center body portion of said cuff forms an open lumen;
implanting the prosthetic valve within said open lumen after the step of allowing the end portions to expand;
wherein at least one of said end portions mushrooms when expanded such that a gap is created between the plies of the end portions, thereby creating a funnel for guiding a delivery catheter into said open lumen in said cuff, and allowing an outer ply to conform against native tissue while an inner ply creates said funnel;
and wherein allowing the end portions to expand causes at least one of said end portions to fold.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising expanding the prosthetic valve within the open lumen.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein expanding the prosthetic valve within the open lumen causes the body portion of the cuff to expand.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein causing the body portion to expand causes the body portion to shorten longitudinally.
5. A method of preventing paravalvular leakage comprising:
placing a device having at least two ply within a target valve such that end portions of said device are located on either side of the target valve;
expanding an outer ply of at least one end portion against the native tissue while an inner ply of the at least one end portion remains less expanded, thereby preventing the inner ply from interfering with the conformation of the outer ply of the at least one end portion;
whereby material joining the inner and outer plies of the at least one end portion form a funnel leading into a lumen of the device.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising providing a material trapped between in the inner and outer plies.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein expanding the outer ply of the at least one end portion causes the outer ply to fold back on itself.
8. The method of claim 5 further comprising inserting a prosthetic within lumen of the device.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising expanding the prosthetic within the lumen of the device.