Patent ID: 6702833
Filing Date: 2004-03-09
Classification: A61B,A61F

Abstract:
A tubular prosthesis for connecting two arterial regions inside a human body comprising a flexible, blood impermeable prosthesis tube having ends that can be introduced into the arterial regions for connection thereto in a blood-tight manner, a tubular, flexible, blood-tight jacket having a connecting orifice, the tube being directly connected to the jacket in a vicinity of the orifice in a blood-tight manner to establish flow communication between the orifice and an inner space of the tube, a folded, expandable tubular metal grid disposed inside and extending substantially over the entire length of the jacket and in its expanded state having substantially the same diameter as the arterial region, the jacket and the grid being arranged at an angle to a longitudinal axis of an end region of the tube in a vicinity of the orifice and having a length so that the jacket and the grid in its collapsed state can be introduced into the arterial region through an aperture in the arterial region and So that the jacket and the grid can be positioned to extend from the aperture in both directions along the artenal region, the jacket and the grid being dimensioned to engage the arterial region in a blood-tight manner when the grid inside the jacket is in its expanded state, a normally deflated balloon catheter disposed inside the metal grid to enable introduction of the metal grid and the surrounding jacket into the arterial region when the grid is in its folded state and the balloon catheter is deflated, means for inflating the balloon for expanding the metal grid and the jacket into blood-tight contact with the arterial region, a feed line in fluid communication with an interior of the balloon and extending laterally from a middle region of the balloon through the tube, and including a hand-operated valve adapted to be connected to a source of compressed air and fluidly coupled with the line for selectively opening the valve and thereby expanding the balloon and the surrounding metal grid.