Unmet Need
Every year, around 200,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Currently, a ruptured AAA is the 15th leading cause of death in the country. All techniques of repairing AAA utilize the addition of an aortic stent graft to fix the rupture. One of the newer techniques is to attach a graft after extending the proximal landing zone by artificially “elevating” the orifice of the renal arteries. This procedure is done by placing fabric covered grafts inside the renal arteries, which will create a longer landing zone where the proximal body of the aortic endograph can land. This technique has been called the “chimney” technique. However, this technique contains the presence of gutters that are inadvertently created when round objects are placed adjacent to each other in a round enclosure. These gutters can allow blood flow to continue to enter the aneurysm sac, which will cause continued expansion of the aneurysm. Thus, there is a need for a way to stop gutter creation so that blood flow into the aneurysm sac will cease.
Technology Overview
The inventors have created a method to eliminate gutter leaks through a unique mechanism of external scales oriented against the direction of blood flow. These scales are incorporated into the main body of an aortic stent graft, specifically the proximal aspect. As the grain of each scale is oriented to oppose the direction of flow, any gap between the graft and the blood vessel will cause the scales to unfurl, impeding blood flow. If a graft is particularly long, several rows of small scales would be present, with each row of scales offset relative to the next row. This would result in proper impedance of blood flow.
Stage of Development
The invention has been developed and is undergoing further testing.
