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US3866609A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Apparatus for growing graft tubes in place

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1973-06-11
•
Granted: 1975-02-18
•
Expires: 1993-06-11
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Abstract

Abstract The invention is illustrated and described in connection with the growing of a femoro-popliteal artery graft. A tunneling tube is inserted through an incision above the inguinal ligament in the groin area adjacent an upper portion of the femoral artery and thrust downward subcutaneously through the thigh to a point below the knee on the inner or medial side of the leg adjacent a lower portion of the popliteal artery. A flexible silicone mandrel assembly having two layers of knitted Dacron on a flexible silicone rod is inserted in the tunneling tube. Then the tunneling tube is removed and the incision closed. The patient resumes his normal activity for a number of weeks during which time an ingrowth of connective tissue incorporates itself in the Dacron mesh, making an autogenous artery graft grown in the place where it is to be used. In a second operation, a new incision is made below the inguinal ligament to expose the upper end of the graft tube containing the mandrel and an incision is made below the knee to expose the lower end of the graft tube containing the mandrel. Both ends of the graft and mandrel are cut off and the mandrel is pulled out. The graft is then anastomosed to the femoral artery above and the popliteal artery below, using the end-to-side method of anastomosis. The closing of the two incisions completes the operation with the graft providing a shunt for the femoropopliteal artery extending from the groin to a point below the knee.

Inventors

  • 👤 Charles Howard Sparks

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 09:13
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/02; A61F2/04; A61F2/06; A61F2/062; A61L; A61L27/00; A61L27/14; A61L27/18

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 53 words
A mandrel assembly for implanting in a living body to grow a graft tube with connective tissue, comprising a silicone rubber mandrel, an inner knitted tube of coarse mesh fabric on said mandrel, and an outer knitted tube of fine mesh fabric, said fabrics being impregnated with silicone rubber vulcanized in the fabric.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 53 words
A mandrel assembly for implanting in a living body to grow a graft tube with connective tissue, comprising a silicone rubber mandrel, an inner knitted tube of coarse mesh fabric on said mandrel, and an outer knitted tube of fine mesh fabric, said fabrics being impregnated with silicone rubber vulcanized in the fabric.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 81 words
A mandrel assembly for implanting in a living body to grow a graft tube with connective tissue from said body, comprising a mandrel having sufficient flexibiLity to bend with movements of said body, an outer fabric tube on said mandrel, said fabric tube being impregnated with a stiffening agent, and an inner layer of porous material holding said fabric tube spaced away from said mandrel, the entire outer surface of said fabric tube being exposed for the ingrowth of said tissue.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 81 words
A mandrel assembly for implanting in a living body to grow a graft tube with connective tissue from said body, comprising a mandrel having sufficient flexibiLity to bend with movements of said body, an outer fabric tube on said mandrel, said fabric tube being impregnated with a stiffening agent, and an inner layer of porous material holding said fabric tube spaced away from said mandrel, the entire outer surface of said fabric tube being exposed for the ingrowth of said tissue.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 95 words
A mandrel assembly for implanting in a living body to grow an autogenous graft tube with connective tissue from said body, said assembly comprising a temporarily implantable part and a permanently implantable part, said temporarily implantable part comprising a mandrel, said mandrel being sufficiently flexible to bend with movements of said body, and said permanently implantable part comprising an inner tube of coarse mesh fabric on said mandrel, and an outer tube of fine mesh fabric, said fabrics being impregnated with a stiffening agent, said mandrel being removable from said fabric tubes in said body.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 95 words
A mandrel assembly for implanting in a living body to grow an autogenous graft tube with connective tissue from said body, said assembly comprising a temporarily implantable part and a permanently implantable part, said temporarily implantable part comprising a mandrel, said mandrel being sufficiently flexible to bend with movements of said body, and said permanently implantable part comprising an inner tube of coarse mesh fabric on said mandrel, and an outer tube of fine mesh fabric, said fabrics being impregnated with a stiffening agent, said mandrel being removable from said fabric tubes in said body.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 108 words
Apparatus for growing a graft tube comprising a tunneling tube having open proximal and distal ends, a core rod insertable in said proximal end to close said distal end so that said tunneling tube can be used for forming a tunnel in a living body, and a mandrel assembly comprising a fabric covered mandrel insertable in said proximal end of said tunneling tube in said body after said core rod has been removed, the open distal end of said tunneling tube allowing said tunneling tube to be withdrawn from said mandrel assembly in said body for growing said graft tube in said fabric covering of said mandrel assembly.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 108 words
Apparatus for growing a graft tube comprising a tunneling tube having open proximal and distal ends, a core rod insertable in said proximal end to close said distal end so that said tunneling tube can be used for forming a tunnel in a living body, and a mandrel assembly comprising a fabric covered mandrel insertable in said proximal end of said tunneling tube in said body after said core rod has been removed, the open distal end of said tunneling tube allowing said tunneling tube to be withdrawn from said mandrel assembly in said body for growing said graft tube in said fabric covering of said mandrel assembly.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 18 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 4, said mandrel being sufficiently flexible to bend with movements of said body.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 40 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 4, said mandrel assembly comprising a mandrel, a fabric tube on said mandrel, and an inner layer of porous material between said mandrel and fabric tube holding said fabric covering spaced away from said mandrel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 38 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 4, said mandrel assembly comprising a mandrel, an inner tube of coarse mesh fabric on said mandrel, and an outer tube of fine mesh fabric, said fabrics being impregnated with a stiffening agent.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US923416A Cited
US2856934A Cited
US3105492A Cited
US3132645A Cited
US3562820A Cited
US3514791A Cited
US3606669A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1978-02-17 1978-08-19 1979-02-18 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1982-02-17 1982-08-19 1983-02-18 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1986-02-17 1986-08-19 1987-02-18 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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