Body implantable connector

Claim 2

A connector to replace a portion of the patient's internal body fluid or solid carrying conduit adapted to connect said body conduit to a vascular implant device for providing external access to said body conduit comprising: a hollow tubular member of a grafting material, a portion of said tubular member being of expanded diameter to form a hollow bulbous portion positioned along the length of said tubular member, said bulbous portion being of a grafting material and being defined as having a partial elliptical contour, the elliptical contour being elongated substantially along a common center line between an inlet and an outlet to the hollow tubular member, truncated at its ends at the point of diameter expansion from the diameter of said tubular member to form said bulbous portion; and a side port of a grafting material at the approximate midpoint of said tubular member bulbous portion.

Claim 3

The connector claimed in claim 1 wherein said tubular member is further defined as having a substantially cylindrical inlet and an outlet.

Claim 4

The connector claimed in claim 2 wherein said side port is of substantially cylindrical shape and has a centerline substantially perpendicular to the common centerline of said tubular member inlet and outlet.

Claim 5

The connector claimed in claim 1 wherein said tubular member and said side port are of a unitary construction.

Claim 6

The connector claimed in claim 4 wherein said grafting material is further defined as being a fibrous material at least partially coated with collagen.

Claim 7

The connector claimed in claim 1 wherein the lateral diameter of said connector at the midpoint of said bulbous portion is between about 1.5 and about 2.0 times greater than the diameter of said tubular member prior to the diameter expansion to form said bulbous portion.

Claim 8

A body implantable connector to replace a portion of a patient's internal body fluid or solid carrying conduit adapted to connect said body carrying conduit to a vascular implant device for providing external access to said body conduit comprising: a hollow, tubular member of grafting material, truncated at its ends said tubular member being expanded to form a bulbous portion of partially elliptical contour along the length of said tubular member said bulbous portion being of grafting material; and a side port, of unitary construction with said tubular member and of grafting material, said side port being positioned at the approximate midpoint of said bulbous portion diameter, said bulbous portion having a lateral diameter at the midpoint of said bulbous portion, as measured along the centerline of said side port, of between about 1.5 and about 2.0 times greater than the diameter of said tubular member prior to the diameter expansion to form said bulbous portion.

Claim 9

A body implantable connector to replace a portion of a patient's internal body fluid or solid carrying conduit adapted to connect said body carrying conduit to a vascular implant device for providing external access to said body conduit comprising: a hollow, tubular member of grafting material, truncated at its ends said tubular member being expanded to form a bulbous portion of partially elliptical contour along the length of said tubular member said bulbous portion being of grafting material; and a side port, of unitary construction with said tubular member and of grafting material, said side port being positioned at the approximate midpoint of said bulbous portion diameter, said bulbous portion having a lateral diameter at the midpoint of said bulbous portion, as measured along the centerline of said side port, of between about 1.5 and about 2.0 times greater than the diameter of said tubular member prior to the diameter expansion to form said bulbous portion.

Claim 10

The connector claimed in claim 7 wherein said grafting material is further defined as being a fibrous material having at least a portion of the exterior thereof coated with collagen.

Claim 11

The connector claimed in claim 7 wherein said tubular member is further defined as having a substantially cylindrical inlet and an outlet, said cylindrical inlet and outlet having a common centerline.

Claim 12

The connector in claim 9 wherein said side port is of substantially cylindrical shape and has a centerline substantially perpendicular to the common centerline of said tubular member inlet and outlet.

Claim 13

A connector to replace a portion of a patient's internal body fluid or solid carrying conduit adapted to connect said body conduit to a vascular implant device for providing external access to said body conduit comprising: a hollow, tubular member of grafting material, truncated at its ends said tubular member being expanded to form a bulbous portion of partially elliptital contour along the length of said tubular member, said bulbous portion being of polyester fiber; and a side port, of unity construction with said tubular member and of polyester fiber, said side port being positioned at the approximate midpoint of said bulbous portion diameter, said bulbous portion having a lateral diameter at the midpoint of said bulbous portion, as measured along the center line of said side port, of between about 1.5 and about 2.0 times greater than the diameter of said tubular member prior to the diameter expansion to form said bulbous portion, and the bulbous portion having a substantially elliptical shape, the major axis being along the length of the tubular member and the minor axis passing through the side port, the major axis being about two times greater than the minor axis.

Claim 14

A connector to replace a portion of a patient's internal body fluid or solid carrying conduit adapted to connect said body conduit to a vascular implant device for providing external access to said body conduit comprising: a hollow, tubular member of grafting material, truncated at its ends said tubular member being expanded to form a bulbous portion of partially elliptital contour along the length of said tubular member, said bulbous portion being of polyester fiber; and a side port, of unity construction with said tubular member and of polyester fiber, said side port being positioned at the approximate midpoint of said bulbous portion diameter, said bulbous portion having a lateral diameter at the midpoint of said bulbous portion, as measured along the center line of said side port, of between about 1.5 and about 2.0 times greater than the diameter of said tubular member prior to the diameter expansion to form said bulbous portion, and the bulbous portion having a substantially elliptical shape, the major axis being along the length of the tubular member and the minor axis passing through the side port, the major axis being about two times greater than the minor axis.