Patent ID: 9107742
Filing Date: 2015-08-18
Classification: A61B,A61F

Abstract:
1. A stent graft having a longitudinal direction and a circumferential direction, said stent graft comprising: a helically wound stent comprising longitudinally spaced elements, with helically wrapped expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) tape having weaker anisotropic strength properties due to uniaxially aligned fibrils along the length of the ePTFE tape, and the pitch angles of the helical stent windings and ePTFE tape windings are equal and parallel in order to allow cohesive removal of the stent graft, when in an implanted state, by applying tension to one end of the stent graft which results in splitting of the ePTFE tape between adjacent elements of the stent along the fibril direction; wherein said ePTFE tape is attached to the stent and covers the space between each adjacent element of the helical stent winding, wherein the helical stent winding includes apices located between opposing ends of the stent; wherein at least one, but not all, of said apices located between the opposing ends of the stent is raised to protrude radially outwardly of an outer surface of the remainder of said stent graft; and wherein said at least one raised apex is covered by said ePTFE tape.