Endoprosthesis having graft member and exposed welded end junctions, method and procedure

Claim 1

A method for forming an implantable transluminal endoprosthesis, comprising the steps of: providing an elongated strand of malleable material, forming said strand into a repeating pattern of undulations having repeating bendable connecting portions, wrapping the strand with the repeating pattern of undulations to follow a generally helical axis having a plurality of full circle windings which are substantially continuous with each other along the generally helical axis until the bendable connecting portions of one of the full circle windings are generally adjacent to respective bendable connecting portions of an adjacent full circle winding to define a plurality of adjacent pairs of bendable connecting portions to thereby form a stent component having an interior surface and an exterior surface, said stent component having a central length portion between two end length portions, each said end length portion having a plurality of said full circle windings; welding together a plurality of said pairs of connecting portions of adjacent said full circle windings of the end length portions to form two welded end lengths; and positioning a graft component along said interior and exterior surfaces of the stent component, including overlying an inner and outer member of the graft component over less than the entirety of the interior and exterior surfaces, respectively, of the stent component, said positioning step exposing a substantial axially extending length of each of said two welded end length portions of the stent component such that the thus exposed welded end length portions are uncovered by the graft component, and said overlying of the positioning step includes overlying at least one welded full circle winding of both of said welded end lengths.

Claim 2

A method for forming an implantable transluminal endoprosthesis, comprising the steps of: providing an elongated strand of malleable material, forming said strand into a repeating pattern of undulations having repeating bendable connecting portions, wrapping the strand with the repeating pattern of undulations to follow a generally helical axis having a plurality of full circle windings which are substantially continuous with each other along the generally helical axis until the bendable connecting portions of one of the full circle windings are generally adjacent to respective bendable connecting portions of an adjacent full circle winding to define a plurality of adjacent pairs of bendable connecting portions to thereby form a stent component having an interior surface and an exterior surface, said stent component having a central length portion between two end length portions, each said end length portion having a plurality of said full circle windings; welding together a plurality of said pairs of connecting portions of adjacent said full circle windings of the end length portions to form two welded end lengths; and positioning a graft component along said interior and exterior surfaces of the stent component, including overlying an inner and outer member of the graft component over less than the entirety of the interior and exterior surfaces, respectively, of the stent component, said positioning step exposing a substantial axially extending length of each of said two welded end length portions of the stent component such that the thus exposed welded end length portions are uncovered by the graft component, and said overlying of the positioning step includes overlying at least one welded full circle winding of both of said welded end lengths.