Thinly woven flexible graft

Abstract

A thinly woven textile prosthetic implant such as a vascular graft may be implanted by catheter implantation. The implant includes an elongate tubular body formed of a woven fabric having a fabric thickness no greater than about 0.16 mm. The tubular body includes a series of longitudinally spaced wave-like generally uniform crimps along the length thereof. The crimps are disposed at a fine pitch along the length of the tubular body. The amplitude of the crimps is relatively small thus reducing the formation of thrombus and plaque on the inside of the implant.

1. A woven textile prosthetic implant comprising:
 an elongate tubular body formed of a fabric wall having a fabric wall thickness no greater than about 0.16 mm, said tubular body having longitudinally spaced wave-like, generally uniform circumferential crimps along the length thereof, said crimps extending on both sides of said tubular body and having a crimp frequency of no less than about 6 crimps per centimeter.  
 
     
     
       2. A woven textile prosthetic implant of  claim 1  wherein said tubular body includes an x-ray detectable, radiopaque yarn therein. 
     
     
       3. A woven textile prosthetic implant of  claim 2  wherein said radiopaque yarn extends longitudinally along the length of the tubular body. 
     
     
       4. A woven textile prosthetic implant of  claim 1  wherein said wave-like crimps have a peak-to-peak amplitude of no greater than about 0.5 mm. 
     
     
       5. A woven textile prosthetic implant of  claim 1  wherein said body has a fabric thickness of about 0.12 mm and a maximum crimp frequency of about 42 crimps per cm. 
     
     
       6. A woven textile graft comprising:
 an elongate tubular graft body having a wall, said wall having a thickness of no greater than about 0.16 mm and defining a pattern of wave-like crimps extending along both sides of said tubular body, the number of crimps, C, per centimeter of body length being defined by an equation: 
   C=[2(t÷10)] −1 ;  
 
 
       wherein t equals the body wall thickness in mm. 
     
     
       7. A woven textile graft of  claim 6  wherein said wave-like crimps define a peak-to-peak amplitude of no greater than about 0.5 mm. 
     
     
       8. A woven textile graft of  claim 7  wherein said tubular body includes a radiopaque marker therein. 
     
     
       9. A woven textile graft of  claim 8  wherein said marker extends the length of said tubular body. 
     
     
       10. A woven textile graft of  claim 1  wherein said tubular body is bifurcated. 
     
     
       11. A woven textile intraluminally implantable graft comprising:
 an elongate tubular graft body having a wall, said wall having a thickness of dimension such that the graft body is capable of being radially compressed for insertion into a delivery catheter;  
 said tubular graft body having a plurality of longitudinally spaced wave-like circumferential crimps along the length thereof on both sides of said tubular body, said wave-like crimps defining a crimp frequency of no less than 8 crimps per cm.  
 
     
     
       12. A woven textile graft of  claim 11  wherein said wall thickness is no greater than about 0.16 mm. 
     
     
       13. A woven textile graft of  claim 12  wherein said crimps have a generally uniform peak-to-peak amplitude not exceeding about 0.5 mm. 
     
     
       14. A woven textile graft of  claim 13  wherein said tubular body includes a radiopaque marker therein. 
     
     
       15. A woven textile graft of  claim 11  wherein said tubular body may be compressed for insertion into an endoluminal catheter. 
     
     
       16. A woven textile graft of  claim 11  wherein said tubular graft body is bifurcated.