10381 results about "Stent" patented technology

A valve prosthesis device is disclosed suitable for implantation in body ducts. The device comprises support stent, comprised of a deployable construction adapted to be initially crimped in a narrow configuration suitable for catheterization through the body duct to a target location and adapted to be deployed by exerting substantially radial forces from within by means of a deployment device to a deployed state in the target location, the support stent provided with a plurality of longitudinally rigid support beams of fixed length; valve assembly comprising a flexible conduit having an inlet end and an outlet, made of pliant material attached to the support beams providing collapsible slack portions of the conduit at the outlet. When flow is allowed to pass through the valve prosthesis device from the inlet to the outlet the valve assembly is kept in an open position, whereas a reverse flow is prevented as the collapsible slack portions of the valve assembly collapse inwardly providing blockage to the reverse flow.

Devices formed of or including biocompatible polyhydroxyalkanoates are provided with controlled degradation rates, preferably less than one year under physiological conditions. Preferred devices include sutures, suture fasteners, meniscus repair devices, rivets, tacks, staples, screws (including interference screws), bone plates and bone plating systems, surgical mesh, repair patches, slings, cardiovascular patches, orthopedic pins (including bone filling augmentation material), adhesion barriers, stents, guided tissue repair/regeneration devices, articular cartilage repair devices, nerve guides, tendon repair devices, atrial septal defect repair devices, pericardial patches, bulking and filling agents, vein valves, bone marrow scaffolds, meniscus regeneration devices, ligament and tendon grafts, ocular cell implants, spinal fusion cages, skin substitutes, dural substitutes, bone graft substitutes, bone dowels, wound dressings, and hemostats. The polyhydroxyalkanoates can contain additives, be formed of mixtures of monomers or include pendant groups or modifications in their backbones, or can be chemically modified, all to alter the degradation rates. The polyhydroxyalkanoate compositions also provide favorable mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and degradation times within desirable time frames under physiological conditions.

A connective tissue scaffold including opposed first and second anchoring segments formed from a plurality of bioresorbable polymeric fibers oriented in a direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the scaffold and a plurality of bioresorbable polymeric fibers oriented in a direction substantially transverse to a longitudinal axis of the scaffold. A central segment joins the first and second anchoring segments and includes a plurality of bioresorbable polymeric fibers oriented in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the scaffold. The scaffold can also a tissue particle and/or biological component.

A replacement heart valve apparatus. The heart valve apparatus includes a stent and a valve frame having a substantially cylindrical body defining a lumen. The valve frame includes a plurality of curved wire pairs attached to the substantially cylindrical body. Each curved wire pair includes an inner curved wire and an outer curved wire. The wire frame further having a plurality of leaflets. Each leaflet is attached to a respective inner curved wire and extends over a respective outer curved wire, so as to position the body of the leaflet within the lumen of the valve frame.

The present invention relates to tissue scaffold implant devices useful in the repair and/or regeneration of diseased and/or damaged musculoskeletal tissue and that include a tissue scaffold component fixedly attached to a scaffold fixation component via at least one of sutures, fabrics, fibers, threads, elastomeric bands, reinforcing elements and interlocking protrusions for engaging and maintaining the scaffold component fixedly attached to the fixation component.

A bioprosthetic device is provided for soft tissue attachment, reinforcement, and or reconstruction. The device comprises a naturally occurring extracellular matrix portion and a three-dimensional synthetic portion. In illustrated embodiments, the naturally occurring extracellular matrix portion comprises layers of small intestine submucosa, and the three-dimensional synthetic portion comprises a foam or a three-dimensional mesh, textile, or felt.

A composite implant is provided for repairing a tissue defect in a patient. In one embodiment, the implant is a porous tissue scaffold having at least one pocket formed therein and adapted to contain a viable tissue. The tissue scaffold can have a variety of configurations, and in one embodiment it includes top and bottom portions that can be at least partially mated to one another, and in an exemplary embodiment that are heated sealed to one another around a perimeter thereof to form an enclosed pocket therebetween. The pocket is preferably sealed with a viable tissue disposed therein. In another embodiment, the tissue scaffold is substantially wedge-shaped and the pocket comprises a hollow interior formed in the tissue scaffold, and/or at least one lumen extending into the tissue scaffold. The tissue scaffold can also optionally include at least one surface feature formed thereof to promote blood vessel formation.

A prosthetic mitral valve assembly and method of inserting the same is disclosed. In certain disclosed embodiments, the prosthetic mitral valve assembly has a flared upper end and a tapered portion to fit the contours of the native mitral valve. The prosthetic mitral valve assembly can include a stent or outer support frame with a valve mounted therein, The assembly can be adapted to expand radially outwardly and into contact with the native tissue to create a pressure fit. One embodiment of a method includes positioning the mitral valve assembly below the annulus such that the annulus itself can restrict the assembly from moving in an upward direction towards the left atrium. The mitral valve assembly is also positioned so that the leaflets of the mitral valve hold the assembly to prevent downward movement of the assembly towards the left ventricle.

Expandable heart valves for minimally invasive valve replacement surgeries are disclosed. In a first embodiment, an expandable pre-assembled heart valve includes a plastically-expandable annular base having plurality of upstanding commissure posts. A tubular flexible member including a prosthetic section and a fabric section is provided, with the prosthetic section being connected to the commissure posts and defining leaflets therebetween, and the fabric section being attached to the annular base. In a second embodiment, an expandable heart valve includes an annular tissue-engaging base and a subassembly having an elastic wireform and a plurality of leaflets connected thereto. The annular base and subassembly are separately stored and connected just prior to delivery to the host annulus. Preferably, the leaflet subassembly is stored in its relaxed configuration to avoid deformation of the leaflets. The expandable heart valves maybe implanted using a balloon catheter. Preferably, the leaflets of the heart valves are secured to the commissure regions of the expandable stents using a clamping arrangement to reduce stress.

Sinusitis and other disorders of the ear, nose and throat are diagnosed and/or treated using minimally invasive approaches with flexible or rigid instruments. Various methods and devices are used for remodeling or changing the shape, size or configuration of a sinus ostium or duct or other anatomical structure in the ear, nose or throat; implanting a device, cells or tissues; removing matter from the ear, nose or throat; delivering diagnostic or therapeutic substances or performing other diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. Introducing devices (e.g., guide catheters, tubes, guidewires, elongate probes, other elongate members) may be used to facilitate insertion of working devices (e.g. catheters e.g. balloon catheters, guidewires, tissue cutting or remodeling devices, devices for implanting elements like stents, electrosurgical devices, energy emitting devices, devices for delivering diagnostic or therapeutic agents, substance delivery implants, scopes etc.) into the paranasal sinuses or other structures in the ear, nose or throat.

Sinusitis, enlarged nasal turbinates, tumors, infections, hearing disorders, allergic conditions, facial fractures and other disorders of the ear, nose and throat are diagnosed and/or treated using minimally invasive approaches and, in many cases, flexible catheters as opposed to instruments having rigid shafts. Various diagnostic procedures and devices are used to perform imaging studies, mucus flow studies, air/gas flow studies, anatomic dimension studies, endoscopic studies and transillumination studies. Access and occluder devices may be used to establish fluid tight seals in the anterior or posterior nasal cavities/nasopharynx and to facilitate insertion of working devices (e.g., scopes, guidewires, catheters, tissue cutting or remodeling devices, electrosurgical devices, energy emitting devices, devices for injecting diagnostic or therapeutic agents, devices for implanting devices such as stents, substance eluting devices, substance delivery implants, etc.

A porous substrate or implant for implantation into a human or animal body constructed from a structural material and having one or more regions which when implanted are subjected to a relatively lower mechanical loading. The region(s) are constructed with lesser mechanical strength by having a lesser amount of structural material in said region(s) relative to other regions. This is achieved by controlling pore volume fraction in the regions. A spacer is adapted to define an open-cell pore network by taking a model of the required porous structure, and creating the spacer to represent the required porous structure using three-dimensional modelling. Material to form the substrate about the spacer in infiltrated the scaffold structure formed.

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.

Expandable heart valves for minimally invasive valve replacement surgeries are disclosed. The valves are rolled into a first, contracted configuration for minimally invasive delivery using a catheter, and then unrolled or unfurled at the implantation site. One- and two-piece stents may be used in conjunction with a plurality of flexible leaflet-forming membranes. The stents may include an annulus section, a sinus section with the membranes attached over sinus apertures, and an outflow section. Lockout tabs and making slots secure the stents in their expanded shapes. Alignment structure ensures concentric unfurling of the stent. Anchoring elements at the stent edges or in the stent body secure the valve within the annulus. A method of manufacture includes shape setting the sheet-like stent to ensure an outward bias during deployment. The stent may also include dear tracks for engagement with a gear mechanism for deployment. The stent is desirably made of a superelastic material such as Nitinol and may have areas removed or thinned to reduce the bending stresses when rolled into its small spiral for catheter delivery.

A biocompatible wound dressing comprised of a pad for insertion substantially into a wound site and a wound drape for sealing enclosure of the foam pad at the wound site. The pad, comprised of a foam or other like material having relatively few open cells in contact with the areas upon which cell growth is to be encouraged so as to avoid unwanted adhesions, but having sufficiently numerous open cells so that drainage and negative pressure therapy may continue unimpaired, is placed in fluid communication with a vacuum source for promotion of fluid drainage, as known in the art. The pad is further comprised of an ultra-low density fused-fibrous ceramic, or a bioabsorbable branched polymer, or cell growth enhancing matrix or scaffolding.

An endoluminal graft which is both expandable and supportive is provided either in a longitudinal form or in a bifurcated form. The graft expands between a first diameter and a second, larger diameter. The support component is an expandable stent endoprosthesis. A cover, liner, or a liner, or both a cover and a liner are applied to the endoprosthesis in the form of a stretchable wall material that is porous, elastomeric and biocompatible in order to allow normal cellular invasion upon implantation, without stenosis, when the expandable and supportive graft is at its second diameter. Preferably, the elastomeric wall material is a polycarbonate urethane.

A valve prosthesis for implantation in the body by use of a catheter includes a stent made from an expandable cylinder-shaped thread structure including several spaced apices. The elastically collapsible valve is mounted on the stent as the commissural points of the valve are secured to the projecting apices. The valve prosthesis can be compressed around balloons of the balloon catheter and inserted in a channel, for instance, in the aorta. When the valve prosthesis is placed correctly, the balloons are inflated to expand the stent and wedge it against the wall of the aorta. The balloons are provided with beads to ensure a steady fastening of the valve prosthesis on the balloons during insertion and expansion. The valve prosthesis and the balloon catheter make it possible to insert a cardiac valve prosthesis without a surgical operation involving opening the thoracic cavity.

This invention relates to improvements in prosthetic cardiac and venous valves and implantable medical devices having moveable septa. The inventive prosthetic cardiac and venous valves have metallic or pseudometallic valves coupled to metallic or pseudometallic stents that permit percutaneous delivery of the devices.

The present invention relates to a medical device, and in particular, to a stent-based valve. The valve includes a radially expandable structural frame including an anchor structure having a first and a second open end, a connecting member having a first and a second end, and a cantilever valve strut having a first and a second end. The first end of the connecting member is attached to the second end of the anchor structure. The first end of the cantilever valve strut is cooperatively associated with the second end of the connecting member. The prosthetic valve further includes a biocompatible membrane assembly having a substantially tubular configuration about the longitudinal axis, with a first open and a second closed end. The first end of the membrane assembly is attached to the structural frame along the second end of the cantilever valve strut.

A sensor is disclosed, for implantation within a blood vessel to monitor a substance in or property of blood. In one embodiment, the sensor detects nitric oxide or a nitric oxide metabolite. In another embodiment, other substances such as glutamate, aspartate, arginine, citrulline, acetylcholine, calcium, potassium, or dopamine are monitored. The sensor may be attached to a support structure such as a stent, guidewire, or catheter. In a further embodiment, a catheter is disclosed that extracts patient fluid to a sensor outside the body for monitoring a substance or property of the patient fluid. Methods are also disclosed.

Bifurcated delivery assemblies provide bilateral access to first and second branch lumens extending from a main body space or lumen in a patient. One or more interventional devices are combined with the delivery assemblies for delivery s into one or both of the branch lumens. Bilateral renal stenting or embolic protection procedures are performed using the combination delivery/interventional device assemblies. Fluids may also be injected or aspirated from the assemblies. A bifurcated catheter has a first fluid port located on one bifurcation branch, a second fluid port located on a second branch of the bifurcation, and a third fluid port positioned so as to be located within a vena cava when the first and second ports are positioned bilaterally within first and second renal veins.

An integrated scaffold for bone tissue engineering has a tubular outer shell and a spiral scaffold made of a porous sheet. The spiral scaffold is formed such that the porous sheet defines a series of spiral coils with gaps of controlled width between the coils to provide an open geometry for enhanced cell growth. The spiral scaffold resides within the bore of the shell and is integrated with the shell to fix the geometry of the spiral scaffold. Nanofibers may be deposited on the porous sheet to enhance cell penetration into the spiral scaffold. The spiral scaffold may have alternating layers of polymer and ceramic on the porous sheet that have been built up using a layer-by-layer method. The spiral scaffold may be seeded with cells by growing a cell sheet and placing the cell sheet on the porous sheet before it is rolled.

Prosthetic valve devices for implantation in body vessels, and methods of making same, are provided. The device has a main body with first and second ends and defining a lumen, with the second end being inverted into the lumen. A valve is disposed at the second end. In multiple valve devices, valves are disposed at the first and second ends, and individually may be inverted into the lumen. The prosthetic valve devices may further include a support structure such as a stent. Methods of making a prosthetic valve device include providing a main body having first and second ends and defining a lumen, forming a valve at the second end, and inverting the second end into the lumen. Methods may further comprise forming multiple valves and may also include attaching a support structure.

A stentless support structure capable of being at least partly assembled in situ. The support structure comprises a braided tube that is very flexible and, when elongated, becomes very long and very small in diameter, thereby being capable of placement within a small diameter catheter. The support structure is preferably constructed of one or more thin strands of a super-elastic or shape memory material such as Nitinol. When released from the catheter, the support structure folds itself into a longitudinally compact configuration. The support structure thus gains significant strength as the number of folds increase. This radial strength obviates the need for a support stent. The support structure may include attachment points for a prosthetic valve.

A prosthetic stented heart valve which includes a compressible and expandable stent structure having first and second opposite ends, an expanded outer periphery, and a compressed outer periphery that is at least slightly smaller than the expanded outer periphery when subjected to an external radial force. The valve further includes a valve segment comprising a dual-layer sheet formed into a generally tubular shape having at least one longitudinally extending seam, and a plurality of leaflets formed by attachment of an outer layer of the dual-layer sheet to an inner layer of the dual-layer sheet in a leaflet defining pattern. The valve segment is at least partially positioned within the stent structure. The valve may further include at least one opening in the outer layer of the dual-layer sheet that is spaced from both the first and second ends of the stent structure.

A multi-layer reduced pressure delivery apparatus is provided for applying reduced pressure tissue treatment to a tissue site. The multi-layer apparatus includes a tissue contact layer, a release layer, and a manifold layer. The tissue contact layer includes a scaffold adapted to contact the tissue site, the release layer includes a hydrogel-forming material and a plurality of flow channels, and the manifold layer includes a distribution manifold. The release layer is positioned between the tissue contact layer and the manifold layer to allow easy release of the manifold layer from the tissue contact layer following the administration of reduced pressure tissue treatment.

Sinusitis, mucocysts, tumors, infections, hearing disorders, choanal atresia, fractures and other disorders of the paranasal sinuses, Eustachian tubes, Lachrymal ducts and other ear, nose, throat and mouth structures are diagnosed and/or treated using minimally invasive approaches and, in many cases, flexible catheters as opposed to instruments having rigid shafts. Various diagnostic procedures and devices are used to perform imaging studies, mucus flow studies, air/gas flow studies, anatomic dimension studies and endoscopic studies. Access and occluding devices may be used to facilitate insertion of working devices such asendoscopes, wires, probes, needles, catheters, balloon catheters, dilation catheters, dilators, balloons, tissue cutting or remodeling devices, suction or irrigation devices, imaging devices, sizing devices, biopsy devices, image-guided devices containing sensors or transmitters, electrosurgical devices, energy emitting devices, devices for injecting diagnostic or therapeutic agents, devices for implanting devices such as stents, substance eluting or delivering devices and implants, etc.

There is shown a system and method for reducing the difficulty in percutaneous placement of a spine stabilization brace by coupling the brace to a pedicle screw in a single assembly. The brace-screw assembly is delivered along with an anchor extension through a cannula for anchoring in the vertebrae pedicle. The anchor extension becomes a cannula for working on the brace from the exterior of the patient, as constructed with a slot opening along two sides. Once the screw portion of the brace-screw assembly is locked in place with respect to the first vertebra, the proximal end of the brace is below the skin line. The brace is then repositioned so that the proximal end leaves the cannula through one slot and is captured by a corresponding slot positioned in a second cannula coupled to a second anchor. Once captured, the proximal end of the brace is guided by the second cannula to a receptacle positioned in the second vertebra.

Tooth tissues include the pulp mesenchyme that forms the dentin and an epithelium that is responsible for enamel formation. Cells from these tissues were obtained from porcine third molars and were seeded onto a biodegradable scaffold composed of a polyglycolic acid—polylactic acid copolymer. Cell polymer constructs were then surgically implanted into the omentum of athymic nude rats so that the constructs would have a blood supply and these tissues were allowed to develop inside the rats. Infrequently, columnar epithelial cells were observed as a single layer on the outside of the dentin-like matrix similar to the actual arrangement of ameloblasts over dentin during early tooth development. Developing tooth tissues derived from such cell polymer constructs could eventually be surgically implanted into the gum of an edentulous recipient where the construct would receive a blood supply and develop to maturity, providing the recipient with a biological tooth replacement.

A two-stage or component-based valve prosthesis that can be quickly and easily implanted during a surgical procedure is provided. The prosthetic valve comprises a support structure that is deployed at a treatment site. The prosthetic valve further comprises a valve member configured to be quickly connected to the support structure. The support structure may take the form of a stent that is expanded at the site of a native valve. If desired, the native leaflets may remain and the stent may be used to hold the native valve open. In this case, the stent may be balloon expandable and configured to resist the powerful recoil force of the native leaflets. The support structure is provided with a coupling means for attachment to the valve member, thereby fixing the position of the valve member in the body. The valve member may be a non-expandable type, or may be expandable from a compressed state to an expanded state. The system is particularly suited for rapid deployment of heart valves in a conventional open-heart surgical environment.