Enhanced engagement member for anchoring prosthetic devices in body lumen

Claim 2

1 . An endoluminal graft configured to frictionally engage an inner wall of a body vessel comprising: a graft; a plurality of engagement members disposed on an outer surface of said graft, wherein the engagement members are configured to frictionally engage an inner wall of a vessel so as to inhibit longitudinal movement of the graft without piercing the vessel wall.

Claim 3

2 . The graft of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of engagement members are disposed at non-terminal positions of the graft.

Claim 4

3 . The graft of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of engagement members each comprise: a projection extension; a sleeve coupled to said projection extension defining a projection extension angle therebetween; and a positioning attachment member coupled to said sleeve and positioning the engagement member on the graft.

Claim 5

4 . The graft of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of engagement members are constructed of a biocompatible, malleable material.

Claim 6

5 . The graft of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of engagement members are constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of a cobalt-chromium-nickel alloy, a nickel-titanium alloy, stainless steel, plastic, and tentalum.

Claim 7

6 . The graft of claim 3 , wherein said projection extension angle is from about 0 to about 5 degrees.

Claim 8

7 . The graft of claim 3 , wherein said projection extension is from about 1 mm to about 4 mm in length.

Claim 9

8 . The graft of claim 3 , wherein said projection extension is from about 2 mm to about 4 mm in length.

Claim 10

9 . The graft of claim 3 , wherein said projection extension member comprises first and second generally elongated members.

Claim 11

10 . The graft of claim 3 , wherein said positioning attachment member comprises first and second members.

Claim 12

11 . The graft of claim 3 , wherein said sleeve is joined to the positioning attachment member so as to remain substantially parallel to the outer surface of said graft both before and after deployment of said graft in a body vessel.

Claim 13

12 . The graft of claim 3 , wherein said plurality of engagement members is disposed on the outer surface of said graft in a fixed geometric pattern.

Claim 14

13 . An intraluminal device comprising: a tubular body having first and second ends and an outer longitudinal surface, the tubular body being radially expandable from a radially compressed state to a radially expanded state, and a plurality of specifically-configured engagement members disposed on an outer surface of the graft, wherein the engagement members are configured to frictionally engage an inner wall of a vessel so as to inhibit longitudinal movement of the graft without piercing the vessel wall.

Claim 15

13 . An intraluminal device comprising: a tubular body having first and second ends and an outer longitudinal surface, the tubular body being radially expandable from a radially compressed state to a radially expanded state, and a plurality of specifically-configured engagement members disposed on an outer surface of the graft, wherein the engagement members are configured to frictionally engage an inner wall of a vessel so as to inhibit longitudinal movement of the graft without piercing the vessel wall.

Claim 16

14 . The intraluminal device of claim 13 , wherein said plurality of engagement members each comprise: a projection extension; a sleeve coupled to the projection extension defining a projection extension angle therebetween; and a positioning attachment member coupled to the sleeve and positioning the engagement members on the graft.

Claim 17

15 . The intraluminal device of claim 13 , wherein said plurality of engagement members are constructed of a biocompatible, malleable material.

Claim 18

16 . The intraluminal device of claim 13 , wherein said plurality of engagement members are constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of a cobalt-chromium-nickel alloy, a nickel-titanium alloy, stainless steel, plastic, and tentalum.

Claim 19

17 . The intraluminal device of claim 14 , wherein said projection extension is from about 1 mm to about 4 mm in length.

Claim 20

18 . The intraluminal device of claim 14 , wherein said projection extension is from about 2 mm to about 4 mm in length.

Claim 21

19 . The intraluminal device of claim 13 , wherein engagement member is disposed on the outer surface of said device in a fixed geometric pattern.

Claim 22

20 . The intraluminal device of claim 13 , wherein said device is selected from the group consisting of a bifurcated endoluminal prosthesis, an aorto-uniliac stent-graft, and a thoracic aortic pros thesis.

Claim 23

21 . An endoluminal graft comprising: a tubular, biocompatible graft body having a predetermined circumference; a plurality of undulating filaments extending circumferentially around the graft body and forming a generally ring-shaped configuration, each filament having a first and a second end extending through the graft body and forming an abutting junction between two filaments, wherein the first and second ends of each filament extend through the graft body; and a joining member securing the junction between the two filaments, wherein the ends of the filaments extend through the joining member and are configured to frictionally engage a wall of a body vessel.

Claim 24

21 . An endoluminal graft comprising: a tubular, biocompatible graft body having a predetermined circumference; a plurality of undulating filaments extending circumferentially around the graft body and forming a generally ring-shaped configuration, each filament having a first and a second end extending through the graft body and forming an abutting junction between two filaments, wherein the first and second ends of each filament extend through the graft body; and a joining member securing the junction between the two filaments, wherein the ends of the filaments extend through the joining member and are configured to frictionally engage a wall of a body vessel.

Claim 25

22 . The endoluminal graft of claim 21 , wherein the graft has a first, radially compressed configuration, and a seconded, expanded configuration.

Claim 26

23 . The endoluminal graft of claim 21 , wherein said filaments are constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of a cobalt-chromium-nickel alloy, a nickel-titanium alloy, stainless steel, plastic, and tentalum.

Claim 27

24 . The endoluminal graft of claim 21 , wherein the ends of the filaments extending through the joining member and define a projection extension angle with the joining member.

Claim 28

25 . The endoluminal graft of claim 21 , wherein the projection extension angle is from about 0 to about 5 degrees.

Claim 29

26 . The endoluminal graft of claim 21 , wherein the ends of the filaments extending through the joining member extend from about 1 mm to about 4 mm beyond the joining member.

Claim 30

27 . An endoluminal graft comprising: a generally cylindrical, tubular graft body; and a plurality of rings of circumferentially disposed on an interior surface of the graft body, each of the rings comprising: a first wireform having a first end and a second end, the first and second ends each projecting through the graft body to an exterior surface thereof; a second wireform having a first end and a second end, the first and second ends each projecting through the graft body to the exterior surface thereof; and joining members positioned adjacent to the exterior surface of the endoluminal graft, a first selected joining member joining the first end of the first wireform to the first end of the second wireform, and a second joining member joining the second end of the first wireform to the second end of the second wireform, wherein a portion of each of the wireforms extends through the joining member and defines a projection extension.

Claim 31

27 . An endoluminal graft comprising: a generally cylindrical, tubular graft body; and a plurality of rings of circumferentially disposed on an interior surface of the graft body, each of the rings comprising: a first wireform having a first end and a second end, the first and second ends each projecting through the graft body to an exterior surface thereof; a second wireform having a first end and a second end, the first and second ends each projecting through the graft body to the exterior surface thereof; and joining members positioned adjacent to the exterior surface of the endoluminal graft, a first selected joining member joining the first end of the first wireform to the first end of the second wireform, and a second joining member joining the second end of the first wireform to the second end of the second wireform, wherein a portion of each of the wireforms extends through the joining member and defines a projection extension.

Claim 32

28 . The endoluminal graft of claim 27 , wherein said projection extensions are configured so as to frictionally engage an inner wall of a body vessel.

Claim 33

29 . An endoluminal graft comprising: a pliable, tubular graft body having an interior surface and an exterior surface; and a plurality of generally circular wireforms circumferentially disposed along the interior surface of said graft body, said wireforms each being composed of at least two undulating wires, a first wireform being joined to a second wireform to form a joined pair of wire ends, each pair of wire ends extending through the graft body to the exterior surface thereof such that there is relative movement between the graft body and the wire ends; wherein the wire ends define a projection extension, the projection extension configured to frictionally engage a wall of a body vessel.

Claim 34

29 . An endoluminal graft comprising: a pliable, tubular graft body having an interior surface and an exterior surface; and a plurality of generally circular wireforms circumferentially disposed along the interior surface of said graft body, said wireforms each being composed of at least two undulating wires, a first wireform being joined to a second wireform to form a joined pair of wire ends, each pair of wire ends extending through the graft body to the exterior surface thereof such that there is relative movement between the graft body and the wire ends; wherein the wire ends define a projection extension, the projection extension configured to frictionally engage a wall of a body vessel.

Claim 35

30 . The endoluminal graft of claim 29 , wherein said rings are disposed adjacent to the interior surface of the graft body.

Claim 36

31 . The endoluminal graft of claim 29 , wherein said pliable, tubular graft body is expandable from a first radially compressed configuration to a second expanded configuration; wherein the wire ends are joined together by means of a sleeve, a portion of said wire ends extending beyond said sleeve so as to define a projection extension; and further wherein said sleeve remains substantially parallel to said graft before, during and following deployment.

Claim 37

32 . A method of preventing migration of an endoluminal graft through a body lumen comprising the steps of: providing an endoluminal graft having a plurality of engagement members disposed on an outer surface of the graft, wherein the engagement members are configured to frictionally engage an inner wall of a vessel so as to inhibit longitudinal movement of the graft without piercing the vessel wall; and surgically disposing the endoluminal graft in a body lumen such that the engagement members frictionally engage the inner wall of the vessel without piercing the vessel wall.

Claim 38

32 . A method of preventing migration of an endoluminal graft through a body lumen comprising the steps of: providing an endoluminal graft having a plurality of engagement members disposed on an outer surface of the graft, wherein the engagement members are configured to frictionally engage an inner wall of a vessel so as to inhibit longitudinal movement of the graft without piercing the vessel wall; and surgically disposing the endoluminal graft in a body lumen such that the engagement members frictionally engage the inner wall of the vessel without piercing the vessel wall.