1. A laser engravable embossing roll comprising:
a resin material having a Shore A hardness of at least about 100.
2. The embossing roll of claim 1, wherein the resin material has a Shore D hardness of at least about 90.
3. The embossing roll of claim 1, wherein the resin is chosen from at least one of epoxy resins, phenolic resins, isocyanate resins, styrenated resins, polyester resins, thermosetting resins and polycarbonate resins.
4. The embossing roll of claim 3, wherein the resin material is chosen from at least one epoxy resin.
5. The embossing roll of claim 4, wherein the epoxy resin is a Bisphenol A resin.
6. The embossing roll of claim 5, further comprising epichlorohydrin.
7. The embossing roll of claim 6, further comprising a filler.
8. The embossing roll of claim 7, wherein the filler is present in an amount of less than about 50%.
9. The embossing roll of claim 8, wherein the filler is present in an amount of less than about 30%.
10. The embossing roll of claim 1, wherein the resin material forms both the roll surface and the roll core.
11. The embossing roll of claim 1, wherein the resin material forms the roll surface and wherein the roll contains a rigid core of another material.
12. The embossing roll of claim 11, wherein the core is steel.
13. A laser engravable embossing roll comprising:
a Bisphenol A epoxy based resin,
epichlorohydrin, and
a filler material.
14. The embossing roll of claim 13, further comprising a steel core.
15. A method of producing a laser engraved embossing roll comprising:
providing a roll having a surface of a laser engravable resin material which will provide a Shore A hardness of greater than 100 for the final roll;
laser engraving the resin material to establish an embossing pattern in the surface.
16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the final roll has a Shore D hardness of at least 90.
17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising heat setting or curing the resin material after the embossing pattern has been established.
18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising heat setting or curing the resin material after the embossing pattern has been established.
19. The method of claim 15, wherein the resin surface is formed over a steel core.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the resin surface is produced by dip coating, casting or vulcanizing.
21. The method of claim 19, wherein the steel core is treated by one or more of sandblasting, sanding or chemical pretreatment prior to providing the resin surface over the core.
22. The method according to claim 15, wherein the resin is chosen from at least one of epoxy resins, phenolic resins, isocyanate resins, styrenated resins, polyester resins, thermosetting resins and polycarbonate resins.
23. The method according to claim 16, wherein the resin material is chosen from at least one epoxy resin.
24. The method according to claim 17, wherein the epoxy resin is a Bisphenol A resin.
25. The method according to claim 18, further comprising epichlorohydrin.
26. The method according to claim 19, further comprising a filler.
27. The method according to claim 20, wherein the filler is present in an amount of less than about 50%.
28. The method according to claim 21, wherein the filler is present in an amount of less than about 30%.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of treatment, comprising:
placing a self-expandable conduit adjacent a left ventricle and an arterial blood-containing vessel such that upon implantation of the conduit a first end of the conduit is continuously open and facing the left ventricle, a second end of the conduit is continuously open and facing and positioned in the arterial blood-containing vessel, and at least a portion of the first open end faces at least a portion of the second open end;
wherein the conduit includes a substantially lattice structure adjacent each of the first and second ends and extending therebetween, and wherein a valve is attached to the conduit within an interior of the conduit between the first and second ends to control a backflow of blood from the arterial blood-containing vessel to the left ventricle during diastole.
2. The method of claim 1, further including enlarging an opening between the left ventricle and the arterial blood-containing vessel and thereafter placing the conduit within the opening.
3. The method of claim 1, further including placing the conduit onto a catheter so that the conduit is in a compressed state, and introducing the catheter into an aorta.
4. The method of claim 3, further including introducing the catheter into a femoral artery before introducing the catheter into an aorta.
5. The method of claim 1, further including placing the conduit onto a catheter so that the conduit is in a compressed state, and introducing the catheter into a vein.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the valve is an aortic valve.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the valve is formed from tissue engineering techniques.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first end is a distalmost end of the conduit and the second end is a proximalmost end of the conduit, and each of the distalmost and the proximalmost ends is expandable.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein upon implantation of the conduit the first end of the conduit is positioned in the left ventricle.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the conduit is a metal conduit.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the conduit is a plastic conduit.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein a section of tissue is further attached within the interior of the conduit adjacent the first end.
13. A method of treatment, comprising:
placing a self-expandable conduit adjacent a left ventricle and an arterial blood-containing vessel such that upon implantation a first end of the conduit is continuously open and facing the left ventricle, a second end of the conduit is continuously open and facing and positioned in the arterial blood-containing vessel, and a substantially straight line intersects at least a portion of the first end and at least a portion of the second end;
wherein the conduit includes a substantially lattice structure adjacent each of the first and second ends and extending therebetween, and wherein a valve is attached to the conduit within an interior of the conduit between the first and second ends to control a backflow of blood from the arterial blood-containing vessel toward the left ventricle during diastole.
14. The method of claim 13, further including placing the conduit onto a catheter so that the conduit is in a compressed state, and introducing the catheter into an aorta.
15. The method of claim 14, further including introducing the catheter into a femoral artery before introducing the catheter into an aorta.
16. The method of claim 13, further including placing the conduit onto a catheter so that the conduit is in a compressed state, and introducing the catheter into a vein.
17. The method of claim 13 further including enlarging an opening between the left ventricle and the arterial blood-containing vessel and thereafter placing the conduit within the opening.
18. The method of claim 13, wherein the first end is a distalmost end of the conduit and the second end is a proximalmost end of the conduit, and each of the distalmost and the proximalmost ends is expandable.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein upon implantation of the conduit the first end of the conduit is positioned in the left ventricle.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein the valve is an aortic valve.
21. The method of claim 18, wherein the valve is formed from tissue engineering techniques.
22. The method of claim 18, wherein the conduit is a metal conduit.
23. The method of claim 18, wherein the conduit is a plastic conduit.
24. The method of claim 18, wherein a section of tissue is further attached within the interior of the conduit adjacent the first end.
25. The method of claim 13, wherein the conduit includes a longitudinal axis that is substantially straight between the first and second ends.
26. A method of treatment, comprising:
introducing a catheter into an aorta, wherein a self-expandable conduit having a tissue valve attached to the conduit is coupled to the catheter so that the conduit and valve are each in a compressed state;
implanting the conduit adjacent a left ventricle and an arterial blood-containing vessel such that upon implantation a distalmost end of the conduit is continuously open and facing the left ventricle, a proximalmost end of the conduit is continuously open and facing and positioned in the arterial blood-containing vessel, and at least a portion of the distalmost open end faces at least a portion of the proximalmost open end;
wherein the conduit includes a substantially lattice structure adjacent each of the distalmost and proximalmost ends and extending therebetween, and the valve is attached to the conduit within an interior of the conduit between the distalmost and proximalmost ends to control a backflow of blood from the arterial blood-containing vessel toward the left ventricle during diastole.
27. The method of claim 26, further including expanding the distalmost end and the proximalmost end.
28. The method of claim 26, further including enlarging an opening between the left ventricle and the arterial blood-containing vessel and thereafter placing the conduit within the opening.
29. The method of claim 26, further including introducing the catheter into a femoral artery before introducing the catheter into an aorta.
30. The method of claim 26, wherein upon implantation of the conduit the distalmost end of the conduit is positioned in the left ventricle.
31. The method of claim 26, wherein the conduit includes a substantially straight longitudinal axis and the distalmost and proximalmost ends intersect the longitudinal axis.
32. The method of claim 26, wherein the valve is an aortic valve.
33. The method of claim 26, wherein the conduit is a metal conduit.
34. The method of claim 26, wherein the conduit is a plastic conduit.
35. The method of claim 26, wherein a section of tissue is further attached within the interior of the conduit adjacent the first end.
36. A method of treatment, comprising:
vascularly maneuvering a self-expandable, shape memory metal conduit to an implantation site within a patient; and
placing the conduit adjacent a left ventricle and an arterial blood-containing vessel such that upon implantation a first end of the conduit faces and is continuously open towards the left ventricle, a second end of the conduit is positioned in and is continuously open towards the arterial blood-containing vessel, and at least a portion of the first open end faces at least a portion of the second open end;
wherein the conduit includes a substantially lattice structure adjacent each of the first and second ends and extending therebetween, and wherein a non-human tissue valve is attached to the conduit within an interior of the conduit between the first and second ends to control a backflow of blood from the arterial blood-containing vessel toward the left ventricle during diastole.
37. The method of claim 36, further including enlarging an opening between the left ventricle and the arterial blood-containing vessel, and thereafter placing the conduit within the opening.
38. The method of claim 36, further including placing the conduit onto a catheter so that the conduit is in a compressed state, and introducing the catheter into an aorta.
39. The method of claim 38, further including introducing the catheter into a femoral artery before introducing the catheter into an aorta.
40. The method of claim 36, wherein the valve is an aortic valve.
41. The method of claim 36, wherein the valve is formed from tissue engineering techniques.
42. The method of claim 36, wherein the first end is a distalmost end of the conduit and the second end is a proximalmost end of the conduit, and each of the distalmost and the proximalmost ends is expandable.
43. The method of claim 36, wherein upon implantation of the conduit the first end of the conduit is positioned in the left ventricle.