Vascular and aortic grafts and deployment tool

Abstract

A containment structure for use with a workpiece vascular graft may include a sheath having two lateral edges; holes defined through the sheath in proximity to the lateral edges of the sheath, wherein longitudinally-adjacent holes are spaced longitudinally from one another; and a pull wire extending through the holes. A medical apparatus may include a vascular graft self-expandable from an insertion state to a deployed state; and a suture cuff located at one end of the vascular graft. A deployment tool may include a mandrel; a vascular graft placed about the mandrel, and a sheath wrapped about the vascular graft, wherein the sheath compresses the vascular graft to an insertion diameter. A hybrid graft may include a graft and a stent, where an end of the graft is affixed to an end of the stent.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A containment structure for use with a workpiece vascular graft, comprising
 a sheath having two lateral edges;   a plurality of holes defined through the sheath, the plurality of holes in proximity to the lateral edges of the sheath and being spaced longitudinally from one another along a longitudinal axis; and   a pull wire extending through said holes.   
     
     
         2 . The containment structure of  claim 1 , wherein said lateral edges are wavy. 
     
     
         3 . The containment structure of  claim 2 , wherein the lateral edges are sinusoidal and include longitudinally-sequential peaks and valleys. 
     
     
         4 . The containment structure of  claim 3 , wherein the peaks are laterally offset from one another such that peaks on a first lateral edge contact valleys of a second lateral edge when the sheath is rolled in a manner that brings the lateral edges together. 
     
     
         5 . The containment structure of  claim 3 , wherein the holes are positioned in proximity to the peaks of the lateral edges. 
     
     
         6 . The containment structure of  claim 1 , wherein the pull wire passes longitudinally alternately through the holes defined in proximity to alternating the lateral edges. 
     
     
         7 . The containment structure of  claim 1 , wherein the pull wire is metallic. 
     
     
         8 . The containment structure of  claim 1 , wherein the pull wire is composed of biocompatible fabric. 
     
     
         9 . The containment structure of  claim 1 , wherein the sheath is composed of PTFE. 
     
     
         10 . The containment structure of  claim 1 , wherein the sheath is composed of polyethylene terephthalate 
     
     
         11 . A medical apparatus comprising:
 a vascular graft self-expandable from an insertion state to a deployed state; and   a suture cuff located at one end of the vascular graft.   
     
     
         12 . The medical apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the suture cuff initially is rolled up into a ring about the longitudinal centerline of the vascular graft. 
     
     
         13 . The medical apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the vascular graft comprises an outer cover about a cylindrical scaffold; wherein the scaffold is longitudinally shorter than the outer cover, and wherein the section of the cover extending longitudinally outward from the scaffold forms the suture cuff. 
     
     
         14 . The medical apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the cover is composed of PTFE. 
     
     
         15 . The medical apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the cover is composed of polyethylene terephthalate. 
     
     
         16 . The medical apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the suture cuff is rolled about an end of the scaffold. 
     
     
         17 . The medical apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the suture cuff initially is rolled up into a ring about the longitudinal centerline of the scaffold at one end of the scaffold. 
     
     
         18 . The medical apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the suture cuff is located at the proximal end of the vascular graft. 
     
     
         19 . The medical apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the suture cuff is differentially unrollable on opposed sides of the vascular graft.