Patent ID: 7871434
Filing Date: 2011-01-18
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
1. A method for modifying blood flow in a vascular vessel, the method comprising: percutaneously delivering an implant to a site within a vascular vessel, the implant including one or more pieces of flexible material, said one or more pieces of flexible material including a first piece of flexible material which includes a reinforced peripheral region extending along an outer edge of said first piece of flexible material, said reinforced peripheral region configured to extend longitudinally along and at least partially circumferentially around a wall of the vascular vessel upon implantation and having extending therefrom an array of vessel wall-penetrating elements that is more than two vessel wall-penetrating elements wide and said array includes vessel wall-penetrating elements arranged longitudinally and generally laterally with respect to one another; and percutaneously deploying the implant in the vascular vessel so as to form a structure that selectively permits blood flow in a first direction and resists blood flow in a second direction, said percutaneously deploying including driving vessel wall-penetrating elements of said first array into a wall of the vascular vessel so as to secure said reinforced peripheral region to said vascular vessel wall with said reinforced peripheral region extending longitudinally along and at least partially circumferentially around the vascular vessel wall.