Patent ID: 6719781
Filing Date: 2004-04-13
Classification: A61B,A61F,A61M

Abstract:
A cuff connector for joining a tubular graft segment to a blood vessel in-vivo as a bypass conduit, said cuff connector comprising:an unitary cuff portion comprised at least in part of thermoelastic material and prepared as an open meshwork in elongated extant dimensions and configuration for subsequent thermoelastic deformation on-demand into an outwardly flaired and permanently deformed shape, said unitary cuff portion being suitable for entry as an open meshwork in the elongated extant dimensions and configuration into the interior of a blood vessel, and wherein said on-demand thermoelastic deformation of said unitary cuff portion into an outwardly flared and permanently deformed shape within the interior of the blood vessel serves to secure the cuff connector to the blood vessel and places the cuff connector in fluid flow communication with the interior of the blood vessel; and a conduit connector portion of elongated extant dimensions and configuration which does not thermoelastically deform and which substantially retains its elongated extant dimensions and configuration despite said unitary cuff portion becoming thermoelastically deformed on-demand into a an outwardly flaired and permanently deformed shape, said conduit connector portion being configured for connection to and permanent juncture with a tubular graft segment such that said juncture with the tubular graft segment serves to secure the tubular graft segment to the cuff connector and places the cuff connector in fluid flow communication with the tubular graft segment.