ENDOLUMINAL GRAFTS HAVING CONTINUOUSLY CURVILINEAR WIREFORMS

摘要

An endoluminal graft is provided which is constructed to be radially collaps ed and/or radially compressed to a small diameter. The graft has wireforms whic h generally comprise a wire deformed into generally annular configuration and consisting of a plurality of curvilinear wave forms. The wave forms have a plurality of first apices in linear alignment with each other, a plurality o f second apices in linear alignment with each other, and a plurality of curvilinear segments traversing back and forth between said first and second apices. The graft is i) initially disposable in a radially compact configuration of a first diameter and ii) subsequently expandable to a radially expanded configuration of a second diameter, said second diameter being larger than said first diameter. When in its radially compact configuration, the adjacent curvilinear segments of the wireforms will nest or seat in abutting contact with one another, thereby minimizing the diameter o f the graft while in its radially compact configuration.