4011results about How to "Reduce the overall diameter" patented technology

A system for percutaneously introducing a prosthetic valve into a patient's vasculature comprises a balloon dilatation catheter, a prosthetic valve mounted coaxial to the dilatation balloon, and a pusher member comprising a longitudinally extending tubular member encompassing the shaft of the catheter. The distal end of the pusher member preferably corresponds to the proximal end of the stent component of the prosthetic valve. The pusher member provides enhanced longitudinal pushability for facilitating advancement of the prosthetic valve to a treatment site. The system is well-suited for advancing a prosthetic valve or other medical device through an introducer sheath having a relatively small inner diameter. The introducer sheath may be formed with a tapered proximal end portion for receiving the prosthetic valve and for reducing a diameter of the prosthetic valve during advancement therethrough.

According to the present invention, a catheter having at least one multi-purpose lumen formed through the catheter terminates proximal a relatively complex-shaped distal portion thereof. In one form of this embodiment, the relatively complex-shaped distal portion comprises a looped portion having diagnostic- and / or ablation-type electrodes coupled thereto and an elongated diameter-adjusting member coupled proximal the distal end of the looped portion. The multi-purpose lumen may be used to alternately accommodate a variety of dedicated materials; such as, (i) a guide wire for initial deployment or later repositioning of the catheter, (ii) a volume or flow of a contrast media and the like, (iii) a deployable hollow needle or tube and the like used to biopsy adjacent tissue or dispense a therapeutic agent into a volume of tissue, and (iv) a cooling fluid, such as saline solution and the like dispensed at least during therapeutic tissue ablation procedures.

One embodiment comprises an apparatus for applying energy to a hollow anatomical structure having an inner wall. The apparatus comprises an elongate shaft having a distal end and a proximal end opposite the distal end; and a capacitive treatment element located near the distal end. The capacitive treatment element is sized for insertion into the hollow anatomical structure and placement near the inner wall. The capacitive treatment element is configured to create an electric field that extends at least partially into the inner wall. Other devices and methods for treatment of hollow anatomical structures are disclosed as well.

Dust caps for use with multiple optical fiber adapters and connectors. A first embodiment of the invention is a dust cap for use with ST adapters, ST connectors and SC connectors. The dust cap includes a sealing surface for contacting the bottom of an ST adapter for sealing the portion of the adapter containing the alignment sleeve. The dust cap also includes an opening having a reduced diameter to prevent contamination of the tip of the ferrule of an ST or SC connector. The dust cap may be formed in a duplex fashion and include a retaining strap for securing the dust cap to an ST adapter. An alternative embodiment of the invention is a dust cap having a first side for mating with either an SC or ST adapter and a second side for mating with either an SC or ST connector.

Multi-filar, open and closed coil, tubular medical stents that are introduced to a site in a body lumen and released to expand at the site to provide a passageway through the stent lumen are disclosed. Each stent filar is a coil wound in substantially the same pitch through the majority of its length between the ends thereof. The coils are attached together at least at one coil end to form an end of the stent and wound in an interleaved manner such that the adjacent coils are substantially evenly spaced apart or in close contact in the released state and do not cross over one another. In one open coil stent embodiment, both ends of each coil are attached in respective first and second common attachment junctions, and the resulting coils have relatively even predetermined spacing between adjacent coil turns through the majority of the length of the stent between the first and last coil turns when the stent is released. Preferably, the first and second stent ends are formed by attaching the coil ends in common, and the stent ends are squared by decreasing the pitch of the first coil turn extending from the stent end such that the spacing of the stent end from the adjacent coil is reduced from the predetermined spacing. Additionally, multi-filar closed coil stent embodiments are disclosed having only one end of each coil attached in common and adjacent coil turns in substantial mutual and overlying contact in the restrained state during implantation and non-overlying contact in the released state. Preferably each common attachment junction of attached coil ends and each free coil end is formed into an enlarged stent end in at least one dimension for ease of attachment to and release from a stent delivery catheter. The common attachment junction can be snared or grasped by a stent retrieval system and retracted from the body lumen.

A bone fixation assembly including a coupling element having an inner surface defining a first bore coaxial with a first longitudinal axis, and a second bore coaxial with a second longitudinal axis, whereby the second longitudinal axis intersects the first longitudinal axis. The coupling element has a seat adjacent the lower end of the coupling element, the seat being defined by the inner surface of the coupling element. The assembly includes an anchoring element assembled with the coupling element, the anchoring element having a first end for insertion into bone and a head spaced from the first end, the head being in contact with the seat of the coupling element. The assembly provides sufficient angulation between adjacent anchoring elements securing a common orthopedic rod, and is particularly useful for assemblies mounted in spines having abnormal curvatures and in the cervicothoracic region of the spine.

A surgical system and the associated methods for use in Minimally Invasive Surgical procedures for use in the short- and long-term termination of signals through nerves. Such a procedure is an improvement over the current state-of-the-art because of the use of a tightly coupled single-needle bi-polar probe. The proximity of both electrodes, to the nerve or tissue targeted for the treatment, is such that it reduces the losses experienced with external electrodes (e.g. plates or probes). Further, the probe has features associated with locating the probe and dispensing or sampling far above the probes currently available. The resulting improvements provide a quantum leap in technology for the associated medical industries and a base line for these procedures in the future.

A physiological measurement system can include a low noise patient cable that connects a monitor and a noninvasive optical sensor. The cable has a plurality of emitter wires configured to communicate a drive signal between the monitor and at least one emitter. The cable also has a plurality of detector wires configured to communicate a physiological signal between at least one detector responsive to the emitter and the monitor. The emitter and detector wires are orthogonally disposed so that crosstalk between the two functionally different wires is mitigated.

Apparatus and methods are provided for thermally and / or mechanically treating tissue, such as valvular structures, to reconfigure or shrink the tissue in a controlled manner. Mechanical clips are implanted over the leaflets of a valve, e.g., in the heart, either alone or after thermal treatment to cause the valve to close more tightly. The clips are delivered by a catheter and may be configured to traverse directly over the valve itself or to lie partially over the periphery of the valve to prevent obstruction of the valve channel. The clips can be coated with drugs or a radiopaque coating. Alternatively, individual anchors with a tensioning element, like a suture, may be used to approximate the valves towards each other. The catheter can also incorporate sensors or energy delivery devices, e.g., transducers, on its distal end.

Devices and methods for slowing down or dampening the retraction velocity of an introducer needle used in connection with needle retracting safety vascular access devices. The devices and methods prevent splattering or dripping of blood caused by an introducer needle that retracts too quickly. The dampening devices can be easily modified to regulate the amount of dampening desired and can be retrofitted to existing vascular access devices designs.

An adjustable spinal fixation system is composed of a collection of anchoring assemblies attached, via a variety of connectors, to spine-stabilizing rods. The anchoring assemblies include a linking member attached in a ball-and-socket fashion to a bone-engaging member that is adapted to engage a spinal bone of a patient. The linking member joins one of the included connectors to an associated bone-engaging member. The connectors are selectively attached to one of the stabilizing rods. The anchoring assemblies each include a support collar and a split retention ring that cooperate to allow adjustment of the bone-engaging member and corresponding connector during surgery. When surgery is complete, a linear engaging fastener cooperates with the support collar and split retention ring to maintain the relative position of the entire fixation system, preventing unwanted movement between the system components.

A remodeling mitral annuloplasty ring with a reduced anterior-to-posterior dimension to restore coaptation between the mitral leaflets in mitral valve insufficiency (IMVI). The ring has a generally oval shaped body with a major axis perpendicular to a minor axis, both perpendicular to a blood flow axis. An anterior section lies between anteriolateral and posteriomedial trigones, while a posterior section defines the remaining ring body and is divided into P1, P2, and P3 segments corresponding to the three scallops of the same nomenclature in the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve. The anterior-to-posterior dimension of the ring body is reduced from conventional rings; such as by providing, in atrial plan view, a pulled-in P3 segment. Viewed another way, the convexity of the P3 segment is less pronounced than the convexity of the P1 segment. In addition, the ring body may have a downwardly deflected portion in the posterior section, preferably within the P2 and P3 segments. The downwardly deflected portion may have an apex which is the lowest elevation of the ring body and may be offset with respect to the center of the downwardly deflected portion toward the P1 segment. A sewing cuff may have an enlarged radial dimension of between 5-10 cm, or only a portion of the sewing cuff may be enlarged.

A coaxial connector with a connector body is provided with a connector body bore. An annular coupling groove is provided in the connector body bore open to a cable end of the connector body. A clamp sidewall of the coupling grove is angled inward from a bottom of the coupling groove. A slip ring seated within the coupling body bore is provided with a grip surface. An annular compression body is positioned between the slip ring and the clamp sidewall. The connector body and the coupling body are coupled together via threads. The slip ring is dimensioned for axial advance of the coupling body along the threads to exert a compression force against the compression body to clamp a leading edge of the outer conductor between the compression body and the clamp sidewall.

A stent cover for enclosing a compressible stent during a stent crimping process, the stent cover having an outer sheath with a proximal end, a distal end, an end portion at the distal end of the sheath having a first diameter, and a stent-retaining portion adjacent to the end portion and having an uncompressed diameter that is larger than the first diameter of the end portion for retaining a stent in its uncompressed condition.

A method and system for shrinking dilatations of a body, removing excess, weak or diseased tissue, and strengthening remaining tissues of the lumen walls. A catheter is disposed near the dilatation and fixed in position by inflatable occlusion balloons. Body fluids present in the occluded dilatation are evacuated and treatment fluid is exuded under pressure into the dilatation. Pressure is maintained by the treatment fluid while energy is applied by the catheter to heat the treatment fluid, causing the lumen walls to absorb the treatment fluid. Additional energy is then applied so as to preferentially heat the lumen wall tissues which have absorbed the treatment fluid, while at the same time treatment fluid is circulated to cool the inner surface of the lumen walls. The dilatation is occluded, a saline solution is introduced and absorbed into the lumen-wall tissue in the occluded region of the dilatation and then heated by application of radio frequency (“RF”) or other energy in order to soften only the lumen-wall tissue of the dilatation, the dilatation is shrunk by application of a chilled saline solution and a vacuum, and additional RF or other energy is emitted to ablate, further shrink, and harden only the lumen-wall tissue of the dilatation, without destroying the inner surface of the lumen or other tissues of the body beyond the lumen walls, thereby promoting growth of epithelial cells.

The invention concerns an illumination system, particularly for microlithography with wavelengths <=193 nm, comprising a light source, a first optical component, a second optical component, an image plane and an exit pupil. The first optical component transforms the light source into a plurality of secondary light sources being imaged by the second optical component in said exit pupil. The first optical component comprises a first optical element having a plurality of first raster elements, which are imaged into said image plane producing a plurality of images being superimposed at least partially on a field in said image plane. The first raster elements deflect incoming ray bundles with first deflection angles, wherein at least two of the first deflection angles are different. The first raster elements are preferably rectangular, wherein the field is a segment of an annulus. To transform the rectangular images of the first raster elements into the segment of the annulus, the second optical component comprises a first field mirror for shaping the field to the segment of the annulus.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to medical implants / stents, systems, and methods of treatment using such stents. Some embodiments of the invention include a self-expanding stent having a tubular first wall structure of a first diameter, where each end portion of the first wall structure is formed into a second wall structure of a second diameter larger than the first diameter. A membrane covers at least the first wall structure and the stent includes an interlaced, helicoidally wound wire forming a mesh-like structure.

Nanoemulsion compositions with low toxicity that demonstrate broad spectrum inactivation of microorganisms or prevention of diseases are described. The nanoemulsions contain an aqueous phase, an oil phase comprising an oil and an organic solvent, at least one anti-inflammatory agent, and one or more surfactants. Methods of making nanoemulsions and inactivating pathogenic microorganisms are also provided.

Apparatus, systems, and methods are provided for repairing heart valves through percutaneous transcatheter delivery and fixation of annuloplasty rings to heart valves. An annuloplasty ring includes an outer hollow body member including a plurality of regions. Adjacent regions cooperate with one another to change the body member from an elongate insertion geometry to an annular operable geometry. Adjacent regions are coupled by a biasing element or a stepped connector to allow expansion to an expanded state and contraction to a contracted state in the annular operable geometry. The annuloplasty ring also includes an internal anchor member located at least partially within the body member and having a plurality of anchors configured to attach the annuloplasty ring to tissue of a heart valve annulus. An angled ring closure lock allows coupling of the ends of an annuloplasty ring at an apex of a D-shape annular operable geometry.

This invention provides a small diameter snare device and device for thrombus removal consisting of a hollow, elongate, thin-walled outer sheath. A single central core wire extends through the entire length of the sheath. The outer diameter of the core wire is sized close to the inner diameter of the sheath while allowing for axial sliding, in order to maximize the support to the body portion of the snare device. A tool tip or “capture segment” at the distal end of the sheath and core wire can be controllably expanded to engage a thrombus and remove the thrombus from the blood vessel.

A medical implant, having a proximal and a distal end, that is preformed to assume a superimposed structure at an implantation site but can be made to take on a volume-reduced form making it possible to introduce it with a micro-catheter and a guide wire arranged at the proximal end, with the implant in its superimposed structure assuming the form of a longitudinally open tube and having a mesh structure of interconnected strings or filaments. The implant has a tapering structure at its proximal end where the strings or filaments converge at a connection point.