Assembly of stent grafts with diameter reducing ties

摘要

A temporary diameter reduction constraint arrangement for a stent graft is disclosed. The arrangement comprises: primary and secondary release wires extending along the graft; a plurality of loops of thread, each loop engaged with either the primary or secondary wire and engaged around a portion of the graft circumferentially spaced away from its release wire, and drawn tight to reduce the diameter of the graft; an end constraint arrangement comprising four of the plurality of loops of thread arranged into a first and second pairs engaged with respective primary and secondary wires; and an intermediate constraint arrangement comprising a fifth and sixth of the plurality of loops of thread arranged into a third pair, the third pair engaged with the primary release wire, the primary release wire deviating towards the secondary release wire so as to locate the intermediate constraint arrangement substantially in-line with the end constraint arrangement.

主权项

1. A temporary diameter reduction constraint arrangement for a stent graft in combination with a stent graft, the stent graft having a proximal end and a distal end and comprising a biocompatible graft material tube and a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart self-expanding stents fastened thereto, including at least an end stent and a plurality of intermediate stents, the constraint arrangement comprising:
a primary release wire extending longitudinally along the graft material tube; a secondary release wire extending longitudinally along the graft material tube and deviating towards the primary release wire; a plurality of loops of thread, each loop engaged with one or other of the primary and secondary release wires and engaged around a portion of the stent graft circumferentially spaced a selected distance away from its release wire, and drawn tight and tied to itself to reduce the stent graft; an end constraint arrangement comprising four of the plurality of loops of thread arranged into a first pair and second pair, the first pair engaged with the primary release wire and the second pair engaged with the secondary release wire; a plurality of intermediate constraint arrangements, one of the intermediate constraint arrangements comprising a fifth and sixth of the plurality of loops of thread arranged into a third pair, the third pair engaged with the primary release wire, the primary release wire deviating towards the secondary release wire; and each constraint arrangement comprising pairs of loops of thread engaged with the primary release wire.