Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) said it licensed patents from Sanford Health it plans to use to develop a new stent graft to treat thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms.

Fridley, Minn.-based Medtronic said it plans to develop the system, which was described in the Journal of Vascular Surgery, based on a concept developed by Sanford Health vascular surgeon Dr. Patrick Kelly. The system is being studied under an FDA investigational device exemption, the company said.

Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms are bulges in the aortic wall located deep in the abdomen, which makes them particularly hard to treat. If left untreated, the bulges could cause life-threatening hemorrhaging.

“We’re very excited to be working with Dr. Kelly and Sanford Health to develop a standardized stent-graft system to address the clinical challenges of repairing thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms,” vice president Daveen Chopra said in prepared remarks. “The exclusive patent license agreement that we’ve entered into with Sanford Health is a further demonstration of how Medtronic collaborates with physicians to foster innovation and develop new therapies that lead to better patient care.”

Medtronic recently merged with Covidien in a deal valued at around $50 billion.

Earlier this month, Medtronic launched HawkOne, a directional atherectomy device designed to treat severely calcified lesions in the blood vessels of the lower extremities. The system was originally developed by Covidien.