Appeal No. 2002-1403 Page 6
Application No. 09/323,783
the desired expansion and deformation of graft, 70 has been accomplished, angioplasty
balloon 88 may be collapsed, or deflated, and the catheter 83 may be removed in a
conventional manner from body passageway 80. Schatz teaches (column 8, lines 40-
45) that if desired, catheter 83, having graft 70 disposed thereon, may be initially
encased in a sheath 89 which is pulled away from the graft 70, prior to expansion of the
prosthesis, or graft, 70.
Still with reference to Figures 3 and 4, it should be noted that graft 70 initially has
a first predetermined, collapsed diameter d in order to permit the insertion of the graft
70 into the body passageway 80. When it is desired to implant graft 70 within a body
passageway 80 the graft 70 is controllably expanded and deformed to a second
diameter d' and the second, expanded diameter d' is variable and determined by the
internal diameter of the body passageway 80, as shown in Figure 4, and by the amount
of expansion of the inflatable portion 84 of catheter 83. Accordingly, the expanded and
deformed graft 70 upon deflation of angioplasty balloon 88 will not be able to migrate
from the desired location within the body passageway 80, nor will the expansion of the
graft 70 be likely to cause a rupture of the body passageway 80.
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