Vascular graft and blood supply method

Abstract

Abstract A graft (36) is used to supply blood to one or more coronary artery branches (32, 33, 34, 35). The graft is also usable as a peripheral revascularization and inter position prosthesis to supply blood to desired blood vessels. The graft (36) has an elongated U-shaped tubular body (43) providing a continuous passage (40) for carrying blood from a high pressure blood supply (23) to a blood receiver (11). One or more openings in the body (43) allow blood to flow into the coronary artery branches (32, 33, 34, 35). The flow and pressure of the blood in the passage (40) is controlled by a restriction (44) providing a restricted passage (48) located remote from the inlet end (41) of the tubular body (43). In one embodiment, the restriction (244) is reinforced with a sleeve (245) to maintain a desired cross sectional area and length of the restricted passage (248). The pressure differential between the blood supply and blood receiver maintains continuous and adequate blood flow at a desired pressure in the continuous passage and provides a continual supply of blood for the coronary artery branches.

Inventors

• 👤 Zinon C Possis
• 👤 Demetre M Nicoloff

Bibliographic Details