METALLIC IMPLANTABLE GRAFTS AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME

摘要

Implantable medical grafts fabricated of metallic or pseudometallic films of biocompatible materials having a plurality of microperforations passing through the film in a pattern that imparts fabric-like qualities to the graft or permits the geometric deformation of the graft. The implantable graft is preferably fabricated by vacuum deposition of metallic and/or pseudometallic materials into either single or multi-layered structures with the plurality of microperforations either being formed during deposition or after deposition by selective removal of sections of the deposited film. The implantable medical grafts are suitable for use as endoluminal or surgical grafts and may be used as vascular grafts, stent-grafts, skin grafts, shunts, bone grafts, surgical patches, non-vascular conduits, valvular leaflets, filters, occlusion membranes, artificial sphincters, tendons and ligaments.

主权项

1. An implantable medical graft, comprising:
a. A generally tubular body member comprising a film selected from the group consisting of metallic and pseudometallic materials and having a luminal wall surface, an abluminal wall surface, and a wall thickness intermediate the luminal wall surface and the abluminal wall surface; and b. At least a portion of the body member having a plurality of circumferential corrugations defined by a radially undulating pattern of longitudinally alternating radially extending peaks and valleys in the abluminal wall surface of the body member and a radially undulating longitudinally alternating pattern of radially extending peaks and valleys in the luminal wall surface of the body member, wherein each peak in the luminal surface is longitudinally coincident with each peak in the abluminal surface and each valley in the luminal surface is longitudinally coincident with each valley in the abluminal surface, wherein a plurality of microperforations is disposed through the wall thicknesses composing the coincident peaks and the wall thicknesses composing the coincident valleys and wherein a plurality of microperforations provide fluid migration between the luminal and abluminal wall surfaces.