Flexible Stretch Stent-Graft

Abstract

A stent device including a stent frame encapsulated by a first graft member and a second graft member. The first graft member can be bonded to the second graft through a plurality of gaps in the stent frame. The stent device also includes an expansion portion that elongates when the stent device is transitioned from a straight configuration to a bent configuration in order to maintain a substantially constant effective cross-sectional area along a longitudinal axis of the stent device in the bent configuration.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A stent device, comprising:
 a stent frame encapsulated by a first graft member and a second graft member, the first graft member bonded to the second graft through a plurality of gaps in the stent frame; and   an expansion portion elongating when the stent device is transitioned from a straight configuration to a bent configuration to maintain a substantially constant effective cross-sectional area along a longitudinal axis of the stent device in the bent configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The stent device according to  claim 1 , wherein the bent configuration has a radius of curvature in a range from about 10 millimeters to about 30 millimeters. 
     
     
         3 . The stent device according to  claim 2 , wherein the bent configuration has a radius of curvature of about 20 millimeters. 
     
     
         4 . The stent device according to  claim 1 , wherein the expansion portion extends away from the stent frame in the straight configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The stent device according to  claim 4 , wherein the expansion portion extends toward the longitudinal axis in the straight configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The stent device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first graft member and the second graft member comprise polytetrafluoroethylene. 
     
     
         7 . The stent device according to  claim 1 , wherein one of the first graft member and the second graft member comprise an ultrathin wall polymer material. 
     
     
         8 . The stent device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first graft member and the second graft member comprise an ultrathin wall polymer material. 
     
     
         9 . The stent device according to  claim 8 , wherein one of the first graft member and the second graft member comprise carbon. 
     
     
         10 . The stent device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first graft member and the second graft member are formed from a material selected from the group consisting of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, polyamides, polyimides, silicones, fluoroethylypolypropylenes polypropylfluorinated amines, and other fluorinated polymers. 
     
     
         11 . The stent device according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of gaps are formed by interconnected struts joined together along a central axis of the stent frame. 
     
     
         12 . A stent device, comprising:
 a stent frame comprising a plurality of gaps, each of the plurality of gaps defining a gap length; and   a graft member, comprising:
 an inner graft member; 
 an outer graft member bonded to the inner graft member through at least some of the plurality of gaps in the stent frame; and
 an expansion portion spanning at least one of the plurality of gaps, the expansion portion having a length greater than the gap length. 
 
   
     
     
         13 . The stent device according to  claim 12 , wherein the stent frame comprises a plurality of rings disposed along a central axis with at least one joint connecting two of the plurality of rings. 
     
     
         14 . The stent device according to  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of gaps are formed by interconnected struts joined together along a central axis of the stent frame. 
     
     
         15 . The stent device according to  claim 12 , wherein the expansion portion elongates when the stent device is transitioned from a straight configuration to a bent configuration to maintain a substantially constant effective cross-sectional area along a longitudinal axis of the stent device in the bent configuration. 
     
     
         16 . The stent device according to  claim 15 , wherein the bent configuration has a radius of curvature of about 20 millimeters. 
     
     
         17 . The stent device according to  claim 15 , wherein the expansion portion extends away from the stent frame in the straight configuration. 
     
     
         18 . The stent device according to  claim 17 , wherein the expansion portion extends toward the longitudinal axis in the straight configuration. 
     
     
         19 . The stent device according to  claim 12 , wherein the first graft member and the second graft member comprise polytetrafluoroethylene. 
     
     
         20 . The stent device according to  claim 12 , wherein the first graft member and the second graft member are formed from a material selected from the group consisting of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, polyamides, polyimides, silicones, fluoroethylypolypropylenes polypropylfluorinated amines, and other fluorinated polymers.