Patent 7666220 was granted and assigned to Nellix on February, 2010 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Embodiments provide methods and systems for treating aneurysms using filling structures filled with a curable medium. An embodiment of a method comprises positioning at least one double-walled filling structure across the aneurysm and filling the structure(s) with a filling medium so that an outer wall conforms to the inside of the aneurysm and an inner wall forms a generally tubular lumen to provide for blood flow. The lumen is supported with a balloon or other expandable device while and/or after filling. The pressure within the structure and/or in the space between an external wall of the structure and the aneurysm wall is monitored and a flow of the medium into the structure is controlled responsive to the pressure. The pressure can also be used to determine a filling endpoint. The medium is hardened while the lumen remains supported by the balloon. The balloon is then removed after the medium hardens.