Implantable intraluminal prosthesis

Abstract

An implantable intraluminal prosthesis assembly is provided for use in repairing or replacing damaged or diseased portions of a blood vessel or other like vessel. The prosthesis includes an expandable stent/graft combination, with a pair of stents at either end of the graft, and further includes a plurality of struts extending between and interconnecting the stents, and radial spaced about the inner surface of the graft. As such, the implantable prosthesis is provided with internal support for the graft when in a compressed state during implantation and is further provided with radial support along the length of the graft after implantation.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An implantable assembly comprising: 
 an elongate, generally tubular compressible graft having opposed end portions,    a pair of resiliently compressible, generally tubular stents positioned within said tubular graft at spaced apart locations adjacent said end portions of said graft; and    a plurality of struts extending between and interconnecting said stents, said struts being radially spaced about the inner surface of said graft and being positioned for contact therewith to provide internal support to said graft when in a compressed state and to further provide radial support along the length of said graft after implantation.    
     
     
         2 . An implantable assembly of  claim 1  further including means for securing said stents in said graft adjacent said ends thereof.  
     
     
         3 . An implantable assembly of  claim 2  wherein said securing means includes said stent being sutured to said graft.  
     
     
         4 . An implantable assembly of  claim 1  wherein each of said stents is formed of wire defining a plurality of wire extents arranged in a zig-zag configuration having spaces between adjacent wire extents.  
     
     
         5 . An implantable assembly of  claim 4  wherein adjacent wire extents of each of said stents are connected at radially spaced medial stent joints and radially spaced distal stent joints, said medial stent joints being longitudinally spaced from said distal stent joints.  
     
     
         6 . An implantable assembly of  claim 5  wherein each of said struts is an elongate member connected at either end to said stents.  
     
     
         7 . An implantable assembly of  claim 6  wherein each of said struts is connected at either end to one of said medial stent joints.  
     
     
         8 . An implantable assembly of  claim 7 , wherein said struts are connected to each of said medial stent joints.  
     
     
         9 . An implantable assembly as in  claim 7 , wherein said struts are connected to alternating ones of said medial stent joints.  
     
     
         10 . An implantable assembly of  claim 1  wherein said graft is a textile graft.  
     
     
         11 . An implantable assembly of  claim 1  wherein said stents are self-expanding stents.  
     
     
         12 . An implantable assembly of  claim 7  wherein said assembly is designed for implantation in a blood vessel and wherein said stents are radially spaced apart a distance sufficient to resist thrombosis formation therebetween.  
     
     
         13 . An implantable assembly of  claim 7  wherein at least one of said stents further includes anchoring barbs attached thereto, said anchoring barbs adapted for engagement with said blood vessel.  
     
     
         14 . An implantable assembly of  claim 13  wherein said anchoring barbs are attached to selected ones of said wire extents and extend to a position proximate to and adjacent said stent joints.  
     
     
         15 . An implantable assembly of  claim 14  wherein said struts are attached to said stent joints other than said stent joints adjacent said extending anchoring barbs.  
     
     
         16 . An implantable assembly of  claim 15  further including means for attaching said struts to said stent joints.  
     
     
         17 . An implantable assembly of  claim 16  wherein said attaching means includes said struts being soldered to said stent joints.  
     
     
         18 . An implantable assembly of  claim 1  wherein said graft is a bifurcated graft including a first open end portion, an opposed second end portion and a pair of tubular legs extending from said second end portion, said tubular legs having leg open ends.  
     
     
         19 . An implantable assembly of  claim 18  wherein one stent of said pair is positioned adjacent said first open end portion and the other stent of said pair is positioned adjacent said second end portion.  
     
     
         20 . An implantable assembly of  claim 19  further including an additional first pair of spaced apart, resiliently compressible, generally tubular stents positioned within one of said tubular legs, and an additional second pair of spaced apart, resiliently compressible, generally tubular stents positioned within the other of said tubular legs, one said stent of each of said additional first and second pairs being located adjacent each said open end of each said leg.  
     
     
         21 . An implantable assembly of  claim 19 , further including an additional plurality of struts extending between and interconnecting said first and second additional pair of stents.  
     
     
         22 . An implantable prosthesis comprising: 
 an elongate, radially compressible tubular graft having an inner tubular surface, said graft having opposed first and second open end portions; and    a stent assembly supported within said tubular graft, said stent assembly comprising:    a first generally tubular radially self-expanding stent supported within said graft adjacent said first open end portion;    a second generally tubular radially self-expanding stent supported within said graft adjacent said second open end portion; and    a plurality of struts extending between and interconnecting said first and second stents, said struts being radially spaced about said inner tubular surface of said graft and in contact therewith for providing internal support to said graft.    
     
     
         23 . A prosthesis of  claim 22  wherein said plurality of struts includes at least four struts substantially equally radially spread about said inner tubular surface of said graft.  
     
     
         24 . A prosthesis of  claim 23  wherein said stents and said struts are formed of metallic wire.