Abstract: An endovascular prosthesis of the present invention includes an expandable stent and a means for sealably attaching a tubular graft to the stent within the stent's lumen. The means of sealably attaching a graft includes membranes, foams, polymeric materials and combinations thereof. Additionally, the present invention includes methods of forming an endovascular prosthesis and methods of implanting an endovascular prosthesis within a vessel to provide sealable securement of a tubular graft within the stent's lumen.

Abstract: A stent is provided having attachment members for allowing attachment of a sheath or sheaths. Accordingly, a practitioner is able to selectively choose a desirable sheath, such as a polymeric sleeve, a biomaterial, or a natural blood vessel, at a point-of-use and attach it to the sheath. The attachment members may be bendable tabs and/or secondary support stents.

Abstract: A delivery system for delivering a device within a body lumen. The delivery system includes a self-expanding stent/graft composite prosthesis and a deployment device. The deployment device includes an outer sheath which overlies the graft, and a stent retaining means for maintaining the one end of the stent in a radially compressed state. The outer sheath is retractable with respect to the graft, and the stent retaining means is removable to allow the stent end to radially expand. The deployment device may further include an inner sheath to overlie the composite and is retractable with respect to the composite. An endoluminal prosthesis including a graft attached to one stent and a second stent unattached within the graft lumen.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sectional crimped graft that allows graft flexibility where required and limits the overall longitudinal extension. The present invention overcomes the disadvantage of fully crimped grafts by controlling the number of crimps per unit length, crimp height, crimp geometry and their location along the graft wall, dependent on the particular end-use application. In so doing, flexibility and elongation can be controllably tailored only in areas where significant anatomical angulation is present. It may also be useful in applications other than stent grafts such as surgical grafts for aortic and peripheral areas. Limiting the overall graft longitudinal extension also facilitates the deployment of the stent-graft into the blood vessel.

Abstract: A delivery system for delivering a device within a body lumen. The delivery system includes a self-expanding stent/graft composite prosthesis and a deployment device. The deployment device includes an outer sheath which overlies the graft, and a stent retaining means for maintaining the one end of the stent in a radially compressed state. The outer sheath is retractable with respect to the graft, and the stent retaining means is removable to allow the stent end to radially expand. The deployment device may further include an inner sheath to overlie the composite and is retractable with respect to the composite. An endoluminal prosthesis including a graft attached to one stent and a second stent unattached within the graft lumen.

Abstract: A multi-section filamentary stent comprises a braided section, which is a cylindrical mesh of a first set of filaments, connected to at least one wound section comprising a second set of one or more filaments having a repeating configuration with a bent portion. The two sections are preferably connected by at least one continuous filament extending into both sections. The stent may comprise a first section, having a braided first stent architecture with a first flexibility and a first radial force, and a second section, having a non-braided second stent architecture with a second flexibility less than the first flexibility and a second radial force greater than the first radial force, in which at least one continuous filament is integral to both the first and second sections.