EXPANSIBLE IMPLANT FOR VASCULAR EMBOLIZATION AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME

摘要

A vascular implant formed of a compressible foam material has a compressed configuration from which it is expansible into a configuration substantially conforming to the shape and size of a vascular site to be embolized. Preferably, the implant is formed of a hydrophilic, macroporous foam materia l, having an initial configuration of a scaled-down model of the vascular site, from which it is compressible into the compressed configuration. The implant is made by scanning the vascular site to create a digitized scan data set; using the scan data set to create a three-dimensional digitized virtual mode l of the vascular site; using the virtual model to create a scaled-down physic al mold of the vascular site; and using the mold to create a vascular implant i n the form of a scaled-down model of the vascular site.