Vascular surgery roll

Claim 1

A blood vessel support structure designed to support portions of opened blood vessels surrounding an opening therein during closing of the opening, said support structure comprising, a roll formed from a length of strand wound upon itself to form windings, said windings collectively defining the configuration of said roll to include: (a) an outer surface dimensioned and disposed for contronting, substantially supporting engagement with an inner surface of the blood vessel in which it is positioned, (b) a first end and a second end each integrally formed at respective opposite ends of said outer surface, (c) a centrally disposed channel extending coaxially through said roll and along the length thereof between said first and said second ends, said channel disposed and structured to allow blood flow therethrough and defining a substantially cylindrical inner surface spaced inwardly a predetermined distance from said outer surface along at least a major portion of the length thereof, (d) said windings successively extending from said outer surface to said inner surface to define a continuous cylindrical wall having a thickness equal to said predetermined distance between said outer surface and said inner surface, said predetermined distance dimensioned to be determinative of the amount of support presented to the blood conduit; a pigtail defined by a distal extremity of said length of strand and disposed to extend from said inner surface through an aperture means formed in said wall outwardly therefrom a sufficient distance to protrude through the opening of the blood vessel, whereby tension applied exteriorly of the blood vessel to said pigtail will cause said strand to be unwound along its length and a successive removal of said windings from said inner surface to said outer surface and removal of said roll from the blood vessel.