Prosthesis comprising an expansible or contractile tubular body

[54] PROSTHESIS COMPRISING AN

EXPANSIBLE OR CONTRACTILE TUBULAR
BODY

[75] Inventor: Hans I. Wallsten, Denens,
Switzerland

[73] Assignee: Shepherd Patents S.A., Delemont, Switzerland

[21] Appl. No.: 571,549

[22] PCT Filed: Apr. 11, 1983

[86] PCT No.: PCT/SE83/00131
§ 371 Date: Dec. 7,1983
§ 102(e) Date: Dec. 7,1983

[87] PCT Pub. No.: WO83/03752
PCT Pub. Date: Nov. 10, 1983

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data

Apr. 30, 1982 [SE] Sweden 8202739

[51] Int. CI.4 A61F 2/06

[52] U.S. CI 623/1; 623/12;

623/66; 128/334 R; 128/335; 128/343;

604/281; 604/282

[58] Field of Search 3/1.4; 128/334 R, 334 C,

128/335, 341, 343; 604/281, 282, 8

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

3,509,883 5/1970 Dibelius 128/334 R

3,822,238 7/1974 Blair et al 3/1 X

3,868,956 3/1975 Alfidi et al 128/345

3,993,078 11/1976 Bergentz et al 128/334

4,130,904 11/1978 Whalen 3/1.4

4,140,126 2/1979 Choudhury '604/8 X

4,441,215 4/1984 Kaster 128/334 R X

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

8002461 12/1980 Sweden 3/1.4

1205743 9/1970 United Kingdom 128/343

Primary Examiner—Richard J. Apley

Assistant Examiner—Alan W. Cannon

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Burns, Doane, Swecker &

Mathis

[57] ABSTRACT

A prosthesis for transluminal implantation comprising a flexible tubular body which has a diameter that is variable by axial movement of the ends of the body relative to each other and which is composed of several individual rigid but flexible thread elements each of which extends in helix configuration with the center line of the body as a common axis, a number of elements having the same direction of winding but being axially displaced relative to each other crossing a number of elements also axially displaced relative to each other but having the opposite direction of winding; and method for transluminal implantation.

12 Claims, 14 Drawing Figures