Unmet Need
Aortic aneurysms were the cause of almost 10,000 deaths in 2017, and currently have an incidence of 10 cases per 100,000 in the United States. Aortic aneurysms that involve larger vessels pose extremely challenging problems for vascular surgeons. Almost all the vessels that branch out from the aneurysm will require revascularization, but it is very rare that all the vessels can be covered and sacrificed during the repair of an aortic aneurysm. Performing an endovascular repair of an aneurysm spanning the aortic vessels currently requires complex open operative “de-branching” procedures. As de-branching is an invasive major operation, performing endovascular repair of aneurysms is very difficult to do and can lead to a plethora of possible errors. Thus, there is a need for a way to repair aortic aneurysms through minimally invasive procedures.
Technology Overview
The inventors have developed a novel type of aortic graft. The invention is a fenestrated graft that allows for simple placement of either single or multiple side branch grafts in any location. Additionally, the graft does not require custom manufacturing and is designed to be readily usable. The fenestrations for side branch placement can be accessed from either the external surface of the graft or from a retrograde approach. The graft will span the entire aneurysm, and the lumen of the graft can be accessed through a wire from the closest arm. A branch graft will then be deployed across the shingled graft, re-establishing flow to the left subclavian artery while maintaining exclusion of the aortic aneurysm. This stent graft can also be used with any commercially available balloon expandable side branch graft, increasing its diversity and usability.
Stage of Development
The invention is currently in the prototyping stage.
