Technologies

This technology pertains to an implanted graft and attached coupling device that is designed to attach firmly and securely through the aortic wall. The coupler is mounted on a wire-guided dilator, which is simply advanced through a needle puncture, and then used to dilate the aortic opening while the graft coupler is secured, all with minimal blood loss. Once the coupler is seated and secure, the dilator is removed, at which time arterial pressure and flow is introduced into the attached graft. The end of that graft can then be clamped and hand-sewn to the target vessel in a conventional fashion. The invention will be most suitable for graft requirements ranging from 6 mm to 10 mm in diameter. The low profile and simplicity of such a system would make it suitable for passage through a laparoscopic port, or introduction into the non-diseased portion of a heavily calcified aorta that has limited options for conventional clamp placement. By eliminating the need for aortic cross-clamping, the use of this device would eliminate many of the associated risks, in addition to eliminating the time-consuming process of hand-sewing a graft to the aorta.

This invention pertains to a new aortic bypass graft system designed to facilitate open surgical treatment of aortic or branch vessel arterial occlusive disease. The system consists of an implant coupler with attached bypass graft, which is intended to be installed in a non-clamp fashion using an over-wire technique. In addition to eliminating the risks inherent with aortic cross clamping, this system expedites the creation of a proximal anastomosis thereby significantly reducing operative time and creating potential for further development of laparoscopic aortic bypass techniques.