Patent ID: 11938249
Assignee: MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A method of delivering a hydrogel-associated endovascular prosthesis to a target blood vessel of a patient, the method comprising:
providing a hydrogel-associated endovascular prosthesis having a compressed configuration for delivery within a vasculature and a radially-expanded configuration for deployment within the target blood vessel, the prosthesis comprising:
an anchor stent for engaging an inner wall of the target blood vessel when the prosthesis is in the radially-expanded configuration;
a tubular body formed from a graft material defining a central lumen from a first end to a second end thereof, wherein the anchor stent is attached to the first end of the tubular body, the tubular body having an inner surface and an outer surface;
one or more body stents attached to the outer surface of the tubular body for maintaining the tubular body in the radially-expanded configuration; and
a hydrogel composition associated with only the outer surface of the graft material of the tubular body, wherein the hydrogel composition is in a non-expanded state and configured to swell to an expanded state following introduction into the target blood vessel of the patient and contact with blood;

introducing the hydrogel-associated endovascular prosthesis transluminally into a selected portion of the target blood vessel, wherein the hydrogel composition is in the non-expanded state prior to the introducing;
radially expanding the endovascular prosthesis into contact with the target blood vessel;
contacting the hydrogel composition with blood; and
swelling the hydrogel composition radially outward into the expanded state within the target blood vessel to fill in empty volume that surrounds the endovascular prosthesis.