Patent ID: 8100960

Claim:
A bloused stent-graft comprising: a proximal section comprising a first cylindrical piece of graft material having a first diameter; a first stent ring attached to said proximal section; a distal section comprising a second cylindrical piece of graft material having a second diameter; a second stent ring attached to said distal section; and a bloused section attached to and between said proximal section and said distal section, said bloused section comprising loose graft cloth, said bloused section extending outward from said proximal section and said distal section, wherein said bloused section comprises a third cylindrical piece of graft material having a third diameter greater than said first diameter and said second diameter, said bloused section comprising v-shaped pleats to cause said third diameter to be narrowed to said first diameter and said second diameter at ends of said third cylindrical piece of graft material, wherein said ends of said third cylindrical piece of graft material are attached to said proximal section and said distal section to form said bloused section, wherein said proximal section comprises a proximal end and a distal end, said distal end being attached to a proximal end of said bloused section by stitching a first set of, said v-shaped pleats having open ends at said proximal end of said bloused section and extending from said open ends to terminate at points of said first set of v-shaped pleats, said points of said first set of said v-shaped pleats terminating at an unpleated section of said bloused section, said points extending in the direction of said distal section, and wherein a distal end of said bloused section is attached to a proximal end of said distal section by stitching a second set of, said v-shaped pleats having open ends at said distal end of said bloused section and extending from said open ends at said distal end to terminate at points of said second set of said v-shaped pleats, said points of said second set of said v-shaped pleats terminating at said unpleated section of said bloused section, said points of said second set of said v-shaped pleats extending in the direction of the proximal section.