Patent ID: 8088155

Claim:
A prosthesis for insertion within a body passage comprising: a first section including a resiliently deformable first annular element and a first tubular graft that is less resilient than said first annular element, said first tubular graft having a pair of free ends and an internal surface, said first annular element attached to one of said free ends; a second section axially aligned with said first section, said second section including a resiliently deformable second annular element comprising a bundle of radially overlapping windings formed of a strand of resilient wire, a given winding in contact with another winding for a complete turn of the given winding, a diameter of the second annular element substantially the same as a diameter of at least one of the windings, said second annular element adapted to be folded around its diametric axis to assume a smaller cross-sectional configuration, and a second tubular graft, said second tubular graft of said second section adapted to communicate with said first tubular graft of said first section, said second tubular graft having one end which defines a single passage and an opposite end which defines a pair of bifurcated passages which communicate with said single passage; a third prosthesis section including a pair of annular resilient deformable annular elements and a third tubular graft, said third tubular graft having a pair of free ends and an internal surface, one of said annular elements attached to one of the free ends of said third tubular graft, the other of said annular elements attached to the other of free ends of said third tubular graft, said third graft connected to one of said pair of bifurcated passages of said second tubular graft, one of said annular elements adapted to engage the interior of said second prosthesis section; and a fourth prosthesis section including a pair of annular resilient deformable annular elements and a fourth tubular graft, said fourth tubular graft having a pair of free ends and an internal surface, one of said annular elements attached to one of the free ends of said fourth tubular graft, the other of said annular elements attached to the other of free ends of said fourth graft, said fourth graft connected to the other of said pair of bifurcated passages of said second tubular graft, one of said annular elements adapted to engage the interior of said second prosthesis section.