Emergency vascular repair prosthesis

Abstract

A prosthesis system for repair of a transected body vessel is provided. The system can include first and second prostheses each including a tubular graft body and a support structure. Each prosthesis can be expandable between a compressed and an expanded configuration. In the expanded configuration, outer surfaces of the first and second prostheses can engage walls of the body vessel. The system can include a sleeve member formable into a tubular body. The first and second prostheses can be coupled to one another at a joint to form a coupled prosthesis. The sleeve member can receive the coupled prosthesis and cover the joint to inhibit leakage therefrom. The prosthesis system can connect first and second portions of the body vessel to permit blood flow therethrough. The sleeve member can be discrete to the coupled prosthesis or can have one end fixedly attached to the coupled prosthesis.

1 . A system to interconnect a first vessel portion and a second vessel portion of a body vessel, the system comprising:
 a first prosthesis comprising a substantially tubular graft body, a support structure coupled to the graft body, a first end, a second end, and a lumen extending between the first and second ends, the first prosthesis being movable between a compressed configuration and an expanded configuration, wherein, in the expanded configuration, the first end of the first prosthesis is configured to engage the first vessel portion;   a second prosthesis comprising a substantially tubular graft body, a support structure coupled to the graft body, a first end, a second end, and a lumen extending between the first and second ends, the second prosthesis being movable between a compressed configuration and an expanded configuration, wherein, in the expanded configuration, the first end of the second prosthesis is configured to engage the second vessel portion;   wherein the second end of at least one of the first and second prostheses comprises a coupling member configured to engage the second end of the other of the first and second prostheses at a joint to form a coupled prosthesis having a continuous flow path defined by the lumens of the first and second prostheses in communication with one another; and   a sleeve member formable into a substantially tubular body having a passageway extending therethrough to receive the coupled prosthesis, wherein the sleeve member is configured to sealably cover the joint to inhibit leakage from the joint of the coupled prosthesis.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first end of each of the first and second prostheses comprises an anchoring member configured to attach to a vessel wall. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve member further comprises at least one cinching member configured to tighten the sleeve member along the outer surface of the coupled prosthesis. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one cinching member comprises a first cinching member disposed circumferentially along a first portion of the sleeve member and a second cinching member disposed circumferentially along a second portion of the sleeve member. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one cinching member is threaded into the sleeve member. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein one of the first and second ends of the sleeve member is fixedly attached to one of the first and second prostheses, and the other of the first and second ends of the sleeve member is a free end, the sleeve member being movable between a delivery configuration where the sleeve member is positioned away from the joint and a deployed configuration where the sleeve member is positioned to cover the joint. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the free end of the sleeve member further comprises at least one cinching member configured to tighten the sleeve member along the outer surface of the coupled prosthesis. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a sealant disposed between the sleeve member and the outer surface of the coupled prosthesis. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second prostheses is self-expandable. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling member of one of the first and second prostheses comprises a projecting member configured to interlock with the other of the first and second prostheses. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first prosthesis comprises a first coupling member and the second prosthesis comprises a second coupling member, the first and second coupling members configured to interlock with one another to form the coupled prosthesis. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus to connect a first vessel portion and a second vessel portion, the apparatus comprising:
 a coupled prosthesis comprising a first prosthesis portion and a second prosthesis portion, each of the first and second prosthesis portions comprising a substantially tubular graft body attached to a support structure, a first end, a second end, and a lumen extending between the first and second ends, the second end of one of the first and second prosthesis portions having a coupling member interlocked with the other of the first and second prosthesis portions at a joint to form the coupled prosthesis, where each of the first and second prosthesis portions is independently movable between a compressed configuration and an expanded configuration, and, in the expanded configuration, the first end of each of the first and second prosthesis portions is adapted to engage the respective first or second vessel portion; and   a sleeve member formable into a substantially tubular body and having a first sleeve end, a second sleeve end, and a passageway extending therethrough to receive the coupled prosthesis therein, wherein the sleeve member is configured to sealably cover the joint to inhibit leakage from the joint of the coupled prosthesis.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the sleeve member is movable between a delivery configuration where the sleeve member receivably engages the coupled prosthesis and is positioned away from the joint, and a deployed configuration where the sleeve member is positioned to cover the joint. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the first sleeve end is fixedly attached to the coupled prosthesis and the second sleeve end is a free end. 
     
     
         15 . A method of interconnecting a first vessel portion and a second vessel portion, the method comprising:
 introducing a first end of a first prosthesis in a compressed configuration into a first vessel portion such that a second end of the first prosthesis is exposed external to the first vessel portion;   expanding the first prosthesis to an expanded configuration such that the first end of the first prosthesis engages a wall of the first vessel portion;   introducing a first end of a second prosthesis in a compressed configuration into a second vessel portion such that a second end of the second prosthesis is exposed external to the second vessel portion;   expanding the second prosthesis to an expanded configuration such that the first end of the second prosthesis engages a wall of the second vessel portion;   coupling the second end of each of the first and second prostheses together at a joint external to the first and second vessel portions to form a coupled prosthesis; and   covering the joint of the coupled prosthesis with a sleeve member to inhibit leakage from the joint of the coupled prosthesis.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the second end of at least one of the first and second prostheses further comprises at least one coupling member configured to engage the other of the first and second prostheses. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first end of each of the first and second prostheses comprises at least one anchoring member to anchor to a vessel wall when in the expanded configuration. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein at least one cinching member is coupled to the sleeve member, and the method further comprises tightening the at least one cinching member to sealably cinch the sleeve member along an outer surface of the coupled prosthesis. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the sleeve member further comprises a first end fixedly attached to one of the first and second prostheses and a second free end, wherein the covering step further comprises moving the second free end of the sleeve member to the other of the first and second prostheses to cover the joint of the coupled prosthesis. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the sleeve member further comprises a cinching member disposed at the second free end of the sleeve member, and the method further comprises tightening the cinching member to sealably cinch the sleeve member along an outer surface of the coupled prostheses.