Patent ID: 9561124
Date: 2017-02-07
CPC Classifications: A61F

Claim:
1. A method for automatic endovascular alignment of a prosthesis in a curved implantation site of a vessel, which comprises: providing a prosthesis delivery system with a distal handle, a longitudinally movable distal delivery assembly that includes an apex release lumen and an inner sheath, and a longitudinally movable guidewire lumen having a pre-curved distal portion within the apex release lumen and rotationally connected to the distal delivery assembly, the distal delivery assembly and the guidewire lumen being together rotatably mounted to the distal handle; loading the prosthesis in the inner sheath of the distal delivery assembly, the prosthesis including a longitudinal support that is fixed to the prosthesis at a superior longitudinal line of the guidewire lumen, to thereby form a loaded distal delivery assembly, whereby advancement of the loaded distal delivery assembly into the curved implantation site will cause axial rotation of the guidewire lumen and the prosthesis together about a longitudinal axis of the distal delivery assembly, and alignment of the longitudinal support with a superior longitudinal line of the curved implantation site; positioning a guidewire at least into the curved implantation site of the vessel; threading the guidewire lumen over the guidewire along with the loaded distal delivery assembly; advancing the guidewire lumen and the loaded distal delivery assembly along the guidewire toward the curved implantation site; and further advancing the guidewire lumen, the loaded distal delivery assembly, and the prosthesis that is loaded into the distal delivery assembly, along the guidewire and into the curved implantation site whereby advancement of the curved distal portion of the guidewire lumen into the curved implantation site causes rotation of the guidewire lumen, the loaded distal delivery assembly-and the prosthesis to rotationally align together about the longitudinal axis of the distal delivery assembly, to thereby align of the longitudinal support with the superior longitudinal line of the curved implantation site.