Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
273 words
An apparatus for repairing a damaged area of a body vessel, comprising: a resilient sleeve adapted for placement within the vessel and having a length sufficient to bridge the damaged area of said vessel, said sleeve being radially collapsible to a collapsed condition and capable of thereafter expanding to its original uncollapsed condition, said sleeve having an outside diameter sufficient to form an interference fit between the outer wall of the sleeve and the inner wall of the vessel throughout substantially the entire length of the sleeve; percutaneous insertion means for inserting the sleeve into the body vessel, said insertion means including a thin walled sheath for retaining said sleeve in its collapsed condition against radially outward pressure exerted thereby during placement of said sleeve within said vessel, said insertion means being removable after placement of said sleeve within said vessel; said thin walled sheath being provided at the end of an elongated flexible catheter adapted for percutaneous placement within said vessel for transporting said sleeve to the location of the damaged area of said vessel, said catheter and sheath being removable from said vessel while said sleeve is retained at the location of the damaged area of said vessel for allowing said sleeve to return to its original unexpanded condition upon withdrawal of said catheter and sheath; and collapsing means for collapsing said sleeve, comprising a thread adapted to be looped about the circumference of said sleeve throughout substantially the entire length of said sleeve, and to be tightened about said sleeve so as to collapse said sleeve onto said catheter for subsequent insertion of said sleeve into said thin walled sheath.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
273 words
An apparatus for repairing a damaged area of a body vessel, comprising: a resilient sleeve adapted for placement within the vessel and having a length sufficient to bridge the damaged area of said vessel, said sleeve being radially collapsible to a collapsed condition and capable of thereafter expanding to its original uncollapsed condition, said sleeve having an outside diameter sufficient to form an interference fit between the outer wall of the sleeve and the inner wall of the vessel throughout substantially the entire length of the sleeve; percutaneous insertion means for inserting the sleeve into the body vessel, said insertion means including a thin walled sheath for retaining said sleeve in its collapsed condition against radially outward pressure exerted thereby during placement of said sleeve within said vessel, said insertion means being removable after placement of said sleeve within said vessel; said thin walled sheath being provided at the end of an elongated flexible catheter adapted for percutaneous placement within said vessel for transporting said sleeve to the location of the damaged area of said vessel, said catheter and sheath being removable from said vessel while said sleeve is retained at the location of the damaged area of said vessel for allowing said sleeve to return to its original unexpanded condition upon withdrawal of said catheter and sheath; and collapsing means for collapsing said sleeve, comprising a thread adapted to be looped about the circumference of said sleeve throughout substantially the entire length of said sleeve, and to be tightened about said sleeve so as to collapse said sleeve onto said catheter for subsequent insertion of said sleeve into said thin walled sheath.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
61 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said thread retains said sleeve in its collapsed condition prior to and during transport of said sleeve to the damaged area of said vessel, said thread being releasable upon placement of said sleeve thereat for allowing said sleeve to return to its original unexpanded condition to thereby bridge the damaged area of said vessel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said catheter is provided with an expandable balloon onto which said sleeve is collapsed, said expandable balloon acting to assist said sleeve in returning to its original unexpanded condition upon release of said thread from engagement with said sleeve.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
57 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said collapsing means includes a longitudinally extending wire associated with said catheter, said wire being disposed exteriorly of said sleeve, and said thread adapted to be wrapped back and forth around said sleeve and said wire so that tightening of said thread causes said sleeve to collapse onto said catheter.