Kink resistant graft

Abstract

A kink resistant stent graft includes a graft forming a tube with a central lumen extending from a first end of the tube to a second end of the tube and a stent secured to the graft adjacent the first end of the tube. The graft includes a corrugated inner graft layer forming at least a middle portion of the tube, and an outer graft layer covering the corrugated inner graft layer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of forming a kink resistant graft comprising:
 wrapping a film to form an inner graft layer forming a tube with a central lumen extending from a first end of the tube to a second end of the tube;   scrunching the inner graft layer to form corrugations in the inner graft layer, the corrugations providing a stored length of the corrugated inner graft layer of at least twenty-five percent;   wrapping an outer graft layer over the corrugated inner graft layer to cover the corrugated inner graft layer; and   bonding the outer graft layer to the corrugated inner graft layer to form the kink resistant graft.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising securing a stent to the graft adjacent the first end of the tube. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein wrapping the film to form the inner graft layer forming the tube includes wrapping more than one layer of the film to form the tube. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, after wrapping the film to form the inner graft layer forming the tube and before scrunching the inner graft layer to form the corrugations in the inner graft layer, heating the wrapped film to set the film in the tube. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, after wrapping the outer graft layer over the corrugated inner graft layer to cover the corrugated inner graft layer, bonding the wrapped outer graft layer to the corrugated inner graft layer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the kink resistant graft is configured to resist kinking while experiencing a 90 degree bend with an internal fluid pressure of at least 100 mmHg in that the kink resistant graft is configured to maintain at least 60% of its cross-sectional area at the apex of the 90 degree bend while experiencing the internal fluid pressure of at least 100 mmHg. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the kink resistant graft has a wall thickness of no greater than 0.20 nm.