Prostheses for curved lumens

Claim 2

1 . A flexible tubular prosthetic device for the carriage of fluids therethrough within a human or animal body and for placement in or replacement of a curved lumen, the prosthetic device having diametrically opposed first and second longitudinal sides and a control arrangement to control the length of the first longitudinal side with respect to the second longitudinal side, whereby the device can be curved insitu to fit the curved lumen.

Claim 3

2 . A flexible tubular prosthetic device as in claim 1 wherein the control arrangement is an expansion restriction arrangement to restrict expansion of at least part of the first side.

Claim 4

3 . A flexible tubular prosthetic device as in claim 1 wherein the control arrangement includes a length reduction arrangement to reduce at least part of the length of the first side.

Claim 5

4 . A flexible tubular prosthetic device as in claim 1 wherein the prosthetic device is a stented prosthesis.

Claim 6

5 . A flexible tubular prosthetic device as in claim 1 wherein the prosthetic device is an unstented prosthesis.

Claim 7

6 . A flexible tubular prosthetic device as in claim 2 wherein the expansion restriction arrangement is stitching or stapling on the first side so that the amount of expansion which can occur on the first side is restricted.

Claim 8

7 . A flexible tubular prosthetic device as in claim 2 wherein the prosthetic device has transverse corrugations defining alternate ridges and valleys along at least part of the length of the prosthetic device and thereby providing a device which is longitudinally extendable and wherein the expansion restriction arrangement prevents expansion of at least some of the corrugations on the first side.

Claim 9

8 . A flexible tubular prosthetic device as in claim 7 wherein the expansion restriction arrangement is stitching or stapling of some of the corrugations.

Claim 10

9 . A flexible tubular prosthetic device as in claim 7 wherein the expansion restriction arrangement comprises stitching or stapling together of adjacent corrugations of some of the corrugations on the first longitudinal side, whereby upon stretching of the flexible tubular prosthetic device, the second longitudinal side can extend more than the first longitudinal side thereby forming a curve in the flexible tubular prosthetic device.

Claim 11

10 . A flexible tubular prosthetic device as in claim 3 wherein the length reduction arrangement includes a resilient arrangement.

Claim 12

11 . An endoluminal prosthesis for placement in a curved lumen, the prosthesis having a biocompatible graft material tube and having a length reduction arrangement on one longitudinal side of the tube, whereby upon deployment within the lumen, the length of the one longitudinal side of the prosthesis can be reduced with respect to an opposite longitudinal side of the prosthesis to cause the prosthesis to curve to better fit the walls of the curved lumen.

Claim 13

11 . An endoluminal prosthesis for placement in a curved lumen, the prosthesis having a biocompatible graft material tube and having a length reduction arrangement on one longitudinal side of the tube, whereby upon deployment within the lumen, the length of the one longitudinal side of the prosthesis can be reduced with respect to an opposite longitudinal side of the prosthesis to cause the prosthesis to curve to better fit the walls of the curved lumen.

Claim 14

12 . An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 11 wherein the graft material tube has a plurality of stents mounted along the length of the graft tube.

Claim 15

13 . An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 12 wherein the stents are balloon expanded mesh metal stents.

Claim 16

14 . An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 12 wherein the stents are self expanding stents.

Claim 17

15 . An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 12 wherein the stents are spaced apart along the length of the graft material tube and wherein during the activation of the length reduction arrangement, the stents on one side of the graft move closer together while they stay substantially the same distance apart on the other side of the prosthesis.

Claim 18

16 . An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 11 wherein the length reduction means comprises a length of elastic material positioned longitudinally along part or all of the length of the graft material tube.

Claim 19

17 . An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 11 wherein the length of elastic material comprises a silicone rubber or similar material.

Claim 20

18 . An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 17 wherein the length of elastic material elastic material comprises a shape memory metal which when released from the deployment device tends to reduce in length a longitudinally extending zig zag or z stent or a stainless steel spring stent extending down at least one part of the side of the prosthesis.

Claim 21

19 . An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 11 wherein the length reduction arrangement comprises a series of sutures or alternative forms of cords or strings fitted to the prosthesis tube at one or more places along the length of the tube which reduces the length of the graft as the diameter increases upon expansion after release of the prosthesis from a diametrically contracted position, each suture or string being fixed to two positions on the surface of the graft material with part of its length extending circumferentially on the surface of the graft and part longitudinally, whereby during expansion of the prosthesis upon deployment as the circumference of the prosthesis increases, the length of the longitudinal portion of the suture reduces draws that part of the prosthesis closer to the part of the graft where the circumferential portion of the suture is situated.

Claim 22

20 . An endoluminal prosthesis as in claim 11 wherein the length reduction arrangement comprises an anchor wire fitted into the length of the graft material tube on one side with the anchor wire joined to the proximal end of the prosthesis with a slip knot to release the anchor wire when desired, whereby the prosthesis curves after deployment wherein the anchor wire is pulled to reduce the length of one side of the graft.