Patent ID: 7399314

Claim:
A stent graft comprising: an expandable stent having at least one segment comprised of alternating struts, an expanded diameter and a crimped diameter, wherein the alternating struts of each segment form an external surface and an internal cavity of the stent; graft material secured to the stent and enabling the stent graft to move between the expanded diameter and the crimped diameter; a series of interdigitable stitches securing the graft material to at least some of the alternating struts and providing a low profile to the stent graft when in the crimped diameter, wherein the interdigitable stitches comprise an even:odd stitch ratio; at least one suture threaded through the graft material and at least one preformed hole in a portion of the stent; and at least one washer corresponding to each of the at least one suture, whereby a first end of each suture is heated to expand against a respective one of the at least one preformed hole of the stent, and a second end of each suture is heated to expand against a respective one of the at least one washer being located between the second end of a respective one of at last one suture and the graft material.