the present invention relates to an endovascular graft and structure and methods for attaching and securing the individual components thereof . with reference to fig1 there is shown a main body component 30 and attachment stent 40 of a bifurcated endovascular graft that is one aspect of the present invention . the main body component 30 consists of a superior end neck 31 , trunk 32 and two limb portions 33 , 34 . the limb portions 33 , 34 facilitate insertion , deployment , and attachment of limb components of the modular endovascular graft . in one aspect of the present invention , one limb portion 34 can be shorter than the other limb portion 33 , though the limb portions can have any length as dictated by a particular application . radiopaque markers 45 placed along the contra - lateral side of the graft material identify the neck 31 , mid - point , bifurcation point , and distal end of the contra - lateral limb portion 34 , thereby facilitating placement within a patient &# 39 ; s body . the attachment stent 40 can be attached to an inside wall of the main body 30 and includes attachment hooks or barbs 46 . the attachment stent is made from wire wound in a generally sinusoidal shape and can have helices at the apices . it is to be borne in mind , however , that the attachment stent 40 can alternatively be placed on an exterior of the main body 30 . the attachment stent 40 attachment hooks or barbs 46 facilitate anchoring the stent 40 in a lumen wall and prevent migration of the attachment stent 40 and attached main body component 30 . in the embodiment shown in fig1 the hooks 46 extend radially outwardly from a point just beyond a superior end 48 of the main body 30 . the limb portions 33 , 34 of the main body 30 can further include stent structures attached to the inside or outside of the limb portions 33 , 34 . as shown in fig1 the stent structures can have a half - cell configuration 50 or a full - cell configuration 52 . the stent structures 50 , 52 can be self - expanding or balloon expandable and operate to provide an opening for receiving additional graft components . the stent structures 50 , 52 can also be employed to engage vasculature when the device is deployed at a repair site in some patient &# 39 ; s anatomy . the anchoring stent 40 and limb stent structure 50 , 52 are sutured to the main body 30 using conventional techniques . the limb portions 33 , 34 can also be sewn together to thereby provide a suitable platform for receiving medical devices or additional graft components and create column strength in the main body component during wiring and catheterization of the contra - lateral limb portion for insertion and deployment of the limb component 70 . tufts of yarn 60 are attached to the graft material to aid in securely implanting the main graft 30 within vasculature through the promotion of tissue in - growth . the main body component 30 can be fully supported along its length or can include stents arranged in a non - overlapping manner . the openings 64 , 66 can be equipped with structure configured for mating with separate graft components . the devices can also rely on frictional fits for accomplishing in - situ assembly . as shown in fig2 a limb component 70 can be equipped with a stent structure 72 positioned interior the limb component 70 at a superior end 74 thereof . the stent structure 72 can be self - expanding or can be balloon expandable and further includes hooks 76 projecting through the graft material of the limb component 70 . an inferior end 78 can likewise be equipped with a stent 80 adapted to engage the lumen of the vasculature into which it is placed . the limb component 70 can have a generally tubular , flared or tapered profile and further includes radiopaque markers 82 positioned along its length . moreover , the limb component 70 can have any suitable length for a particular purpose . turning now to fig3 there is shown a main body component 30 having two limb components 70 attached thereto . once the limb components 70 are placed within the limb portions 33 , 34 of the main body component , the hooks or barbs 76 of the stent structure 72 project through the graft material defining the limb portion 33 , 34 . moreover , the stent structure themselves securely engage the limbs 33 , 34 . in this way , the limb portions 70 are fixed to the main body component 30 . as shown in the drawings , the hooks 76 can be angled in such a manner to take advantage of blood flow . in fig3 the assembly shown is contemplated to be employed when blood flows in a direction from the main body 30 to the limbs 33 , 34 . the endovascular device shown in fig1 - 3 embodies a modular design that provides flexibility in sizing to the anatomy of the patient . additional graft extenders can be employed at both the proximal and distal ends of the assembly . that is , additional limb components 70 can be joined to limb components 70 to further extend the assembly to repair vasculature . for example , in the event it is determined that healthy tissue does not exist at a bifurcation , it may be necessary to place additional limb components 70 within the branch vessel . similar structure can be employed to extend the main body 30 within the main vessel . as stated , each of these components can be straight , flared or tapered tubular members of increasing or decreasing diameter . it is further contemplated that the grafting system includes various limb sizes , each of which connect to standard sized main body components 30 . by employing such a system , lower profile delivery systems can be utilized . for example , a 21 . 5 fr delivery system ( not shown ) can be used for a 26 mm implant . in an alternative embodiment ( fig4 ), the main body component 90 includes an attachment stent 92 particularly configured for transrenal or suprarenal placement . that is , where there is insufficient healthy tissue or where it is otherwise dictated by a patient &# 39 ; s anatomy , the main body 30 can employ an attachment stent 92 having hooks or lumen engagement structure 94 which are longitudinally separated from a superior end 96 of the main body 30 . in this way , the hooks or barbs 94 , for example , can be affixed transrenally or suprarenally while the main body resides inferior the renal arteries . the same approach can be used anywhere in the body where blood through cross - branches in vasculature must be avoided . the attachment stent 92 is made from a tube ( such as laser cut ) and the hooks or barbs 94 are shape - set to project out from the cylindrical body when the stent is unconstrained by a delivery system . the main body component 90 can be tapered , flared or straight . the main body component 90 also includes a plurality of supporting structures 98 , 100 , 102 , 104 positioned along its length using conventional techniques . such structure aids in holding the main body 70 open as well as in some patient &# 39 ; s anatomy providing structure for engaging vasculature . as before , limb components can be attached to the main body component 90 as necessary . also , the limbs 106 , 108 can be sewn or otherwise affixed together for providing additional structural support to the device . it is contemplated that such a device can treat aortic necks up to 30 mm via a 20 fr delivery system . enlarged views of the basic structure of the various attachment stents and support structures shown in fig1 - 4 are provided for convenience in fig5 - 7 . in particular , fig5 depicts the basic structure for the attachment stent 40 shown in fig1 and clearly shows helical apices 150 . fig6 and 7 depict basic underlying structure of the full - cell and half - cell stent structures 52 , 50 shown in the previous figures . it is to be recognized that the basic underlying structure shown 200 , 202 in fig6 and 7 lack both hooks as well as the looped apices shown in fig1 - 4 but it is to be recognized that such structures can be added as desired and as previously described . for example , as shown in fig8 and 9 , the stent structures 210 , 212 can include hooks 216 configured along a midsection 220 of the stent structure ( see also fig2 ) or at each apex 222 ( see also fig4 ). shown in fig1 is a modular graft device 250 incorporating the previously described combination of flared , tapered and straight tubular sections . the assembly depicted in fig1 is merely exemplary in that the present application contemplates a graft with sections that can assume any of the stated configurations . that is , a leg portion can be tapered in one embodiment and flared or a straight tube in another . likewise , the superior end 252 of the graft device can also embody each of these shapes . moreover , any of the disclosed stent devices can be positioned along any portion of the inside or outside of the graft devices . also , as previously described and shown in fig1 , a stent device 200 can be placed axially removed from the graft itself to thereby provide anchoring across branch vessels . although also contemplated , an extender attached to a superior end of the graft device 250 is not shown . thus , it will be apparent from the foregoing that , while particular forms of the invention have been illustrated and described , various modifications can be made without the parting from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , the main body and limb components can each be generally tubular , flared , bifurcated or trifurcated . also , the stents and other supporting structures can be placed either interior or exterior a particular graft component . accordingly , it is not intended that the invention be limited , except as by the appended claims .
the present invention embodies an endovascular grafting device having a main body component and limb components . the device is contemplated to be assembled in - situ for the purpose of treating vascular defects or conditions .