Abstract: Shape memory alloy and elastically self-expanding endoluminal stents which are at least partially encapsulated in a substantially monolithic expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (“ePTFE”) covering. An endoluminal stent, which has a reduced diametric dimension for endoluminal delivery and a larger in vivo final diametric diameter, is encapsulated in an ePTFE covering which circumferentially covers both the luminal and abluminal walls along at least a portion of the longitudinal extent of the endoluminal stent. The shape memory endoluminal stent is fabricated from a shape memory alloy which exhibits either shape memory or pseudoelastic properties or from an elastic material having an inherent spring tension.

Abstract: Partially encapsulated stents are made using gaps cut into ePTFE covering material. Ring stents are placed over an inner ePTFE tube (e.g., supported on a mandrel) and are covered by a “lacey” graft sleeve, which is constructed by cutting apertures into an ePTFE tube so that a series of circumferential and longitudinal strips is created. This “lacey” sleeve is then laminated to the inner ePTFE tube to capture the stents. By selecting the size and position of the apertures in the ePTFE covering, it is possible to leave critical parts of the stent unencapsulated to facilitate flexibility and expansion. Alternatively, the gaps can consist of slits cut into the ePTFE covering material. These slits can be cut in any direction including longitudinally, radially, or diagonally. In addition, the slits can be spaced at varying intervals around the covering material to maximize flexibility and expandability.

Abstract: An encapsulated stent having a stent or structural support layer sandwiched between two biocompatible flexible layers. One preferred embodiment has a stent cover which includes a tubular shaped stent that is concentrically retained between two tubular shaped grafts comprised of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. Another preferred embodiment has a stent graft which includes at least one stent sandwiched between the ends of two tubular shaped grafts wherein at least a portion of the grafts are unsupported by the stent. Still another embodiment includes an articulating stented graft which includes a plurality of stents spaced apart from one another at a predetermined distance wherein each stent is contained between two elongated biocompatible tubular members. The graft/stent/graft assemblies all have inseparable layers.

Abstract: An endoluminal stent contains a hollow passageway for the circulation of fluids to treat vascular walls affected with malignant growths or experiencing restenosis. The hollow passageway stent can have one or a plurality of passageways and is configured in a tubular shape with numerous coils, providing an empty tubular lumen through the center of the stent to allow blood flow. The stent is connected to a removable catheter that conducts fluid to the stent. Fluid flow may be regulated by valves incorporated in either the stent and/or the catheter. The stent and catheter are connected to avoid leakage of the fluid. Cryogenic, heated or radioactive fluids are circulated through the stent to treat the affected sites. A method of delivering drugs to the vascular wall is also provided by creating a stent with porous outer walls to allow diffusion of the drug.

Abstract: An improved ePTFE-based delivery graft is intended to dispense a bioactive agent such as a drug into the blood stream. A hollow tubing is infused with the agent from a source such as a drug delivery pump mechanism. The spiral hollow tubing is wrapped in a helical fashion around, or otherwise brought into contact with an outer wall of a porous ePTFE graft and adhered thereto. The agent is delivered to the lumen of the graft by infusing the agent through the porous interstices of the graft wall. Thus, the bioactive agent is conducted by the hollow tubing from a source to the outer surface of an ePTFE graft where it is released to diffuse into the graft to influence biological processes along both the inner and outer surfaces of the graft. The present invention allows the bioactive agent or drug to be renewed or changed after implant of the graft. In addition the present invention can be implanted in the same fashion as regular vascular grafts.

Abstract: A system and process for removing contaminants from water and wastewater, where the water or wastewater is transformed into purified water that can be discharged to the environment. Wastewater is transported through several stations for purification, including an electrochemical cell. The purification process begins by sending the wastewater to a classifier through an in-line basket strainer. The wastewater stream in the classifier is drawn through a solid-liquid hydrocyclone, which returns the solids to the classifier and sends the remaining liquid to feed tanks. Contaminants that float are removed from the wastewater by skimming from the surface of the feed tank. The wastewater underflow from the feed tanks is pumped directly to the electrochemical cell where it enters into the bottom of the cell, and exits from the top of the cell. The discharge, including coagulated solids, hydrogen gas, and oxygen gas, is mixed with a polymer as well as compressed air just prior to entering a static in-line mixer.

Abstract: The device of the present invention comprises a bifurcated graft fabricated from expanded PTFE (ePTFE). The inventive device is double walled so that following insertion into an aneurysm, fluid can be injected between the walls to expand the device thereby opening the inner tubular graft for receiving blood flow and locking the device into place in the aorta. The injected fluid may polymerize so that the device is permanently held in its expanded form. One embodiment of the device is fabricated with pockets or channels. After the device is delivered and expanded additional stiffening struts can be inserted into these pockets. In this way the basic device can be furled and tightly compressed for delivery (something not possible with a stent containing device). After the device is expanded, a stent-like structure can be inserted endovascularly giving the strength and resiliency of a stent-containing prosthesis.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for locating the injection point of an implanted medical device. In a preferred embodiment, the locating apparatus is in the form of radiopaque rings made of a metallic substance. When these rings are spaced apart at different heights on an implanted medical device, such as a drug port, a stereoscopic effect results from fluoroscopically viewing the device along an axis not parallel to the axis along which the rings are spaced. This effect allows one to readily determine the orientation of the device. This prevents accidental injection of drugs into the hard backside of the drug port.

Abstract: A granule dishwashing apparatus with easily removable granule collectors and method of use. The dishwashing apparatus consists primarily of a treatment chamber, a tank, one or more granule collectors and one or more pumping devices. Soiled articles are placed in the treatment chamber to be washed with a mixture consisting of liquid and granules that is sprayed at the articles under high pressure. The mixture falls toward the tank after impacting the articles, passing through the granule collector(s). A liquid only portion is separated from the mixture at some point using the granule collector(s) so that the articles can be rinsed. At any point following a cleaning cycle, the granule collector(s) can be removed to add more granules and to simplify the cleaning of the apparatus. In a multiple collector system, the granule collectors are connected to actuators so that the collectors can be placed in a release mode or a collect mode depending on the function desired.

Abstract: An expanded polytetrafluoroethylene flanged vascular graft (10) suitable for end-to-side anastomosis grafting having an integral terminal polytetrafluoroethylene flanged skirt or cuff section (12) which facilitates an end-to-side anastomosis directly between an artery and the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene flanged bypass graft (10) without need for an intervening venous collar or venous patch.

Abstract: Shape memory alloy and elastically self-expanding endoluminal support structures which are at least partially encapsulated in a substantially monolithic expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (“ePTFE”) covering. An endoluminal stent, which has a reduced diametric dimension for endoluminal delivery and a larger in vivo final diametric diameter, is encapsulated in an ePTFE covering which circumferentially covers both the luminal and abluminal walls along at least a portion of the longitudinal extent of the endoluminal stent. The stent and ePTFE covering are helically wound into an open cylindrical configuration with adjacent windings forming overlapping regions of ePTFE covering bonded to one another.

Abstract: A catheter system (1) which is useable as a part of a delivery kit for introducing objects (8) into the living body is provided which has a very high flexibility with simultaneous kink resistance and via which compressive as well as tensile forces are reliably transmittable. It comprises at least one longitudinally extended inner catheter (4) and at least one accessory component (6, 10) which is arranged in the distal end region of the inner catheter (4), wherein the end-face is abutted on at least a portion of the accessory component (10) such that movement of the accessory component (10) relative to the longitudinal extent of the inner catheter (4) is prevented.

Abstract: A method for selectively bonding layers of polymeric material, especially expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE), to create endoluminal vascular devices. In a preferred method the selective bonding is achieved by applying pressure to selected areas using a textured mandrel. This permits a stent device to be encapsulated between two layers of ePTFE with unbonded slip pockets to accommodate movement of the structural members of the stent. This allows stent compression with minimal force and promotes a low profile of the compressed device. Unbonded regions of ePTFE allow enhanced cellular penetration for rapid healing and can also contain bioactive substance that will diffuse through the ePTFE to treat the vessel wall.

Abstract: A vascular prosthesis comprising a tube of material other than autologous vascular tissue but considered/approved as safe and supple enough for use instead of such tissue, the tube having an end formation for surgical connection directly to an opening formed in an artery, the end formation serving to promote, at that end and/or within the direct connection and in response to normally pulsed blood flow, localized movement of blood having a non-laminar nature with a shear stress inducing relation to receiving arterial wall.

Abstract: A radially expandable endoluminal covered stent assembly and a method and apparatus for making the same. A longitudinally and radially expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tubular graft is circumferentially engaged about one or more radially expandable stents and is retained thereon by a radial recoil force exerted by the tubular graft against the stent. The graft is retained on the stent or stents prior to and during endoluminal delivery and radial expansion without the use of adhesives, sutures or other attachment means. Further, upon radial expansion the stent or stents do not require retaining means for preventing contraction, despite the inherent recoil imparted by the tubular graft. The covered stent is assembled by joining a dilation mandrel and a stent mandrel, placing the graft on the dilation mandrel where it is radially expanded, and passing the expanded graft over the stent that is positioned on the stent mandrel.

Abstract: A method of shaping three-dimensional products by manipulating an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tubular body into a desired three-dimensional conformation. The present invention entails radially expanding a longitudinally expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) tube to form a radially expanded ePTFE (rePTFE) tube, engaging the rePTFE tube circumferentially about a shaping mandrel, heating the assembly to a temperature below the crystalline melt point temperature, or sintering temperature, of polytetrafluoroethylene to radially shrink the diameter of the rePTFE tube into intimate contact with the shaping mandrel, and heating the assembly to a temperature above the crystalline melt point temperature of polytetrafluoroethylene to amorphously lock the microstructure of the shaped polytetrafluoroethylene body.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a flanged polytetrafluoroethylene cuffed section from a tubular polytetrafluoroethylene graft. The flanged polytetrafluoroethylene graft is well suited for use as a distal bypass graft, for arteriovenous grafting, or as a hemodialysis access graft. The graft includes an integral terminal polytetrafluoroethylene flanged skirt or cuff section which facilitates an end-to-side anastomosis directly between an artery and the polytetrafluoroethylene flanged graft without need for an intervening venous collar or venous patch.