Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100179648 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PLACING A PERCUTANEOUS VALVE DEVICE - A system and process for placing a percutaneous valve device in a body lumen at the location of implantation is provided. The placement system and method are simple and enhance the accuracy of the placement of the valve device. Anchors and placement wires or sutures are used to fix the implantation target and guide the device to the implantation site. The system and method are applicable to pre-assembled percutaneous valve devices as well as a modular prosthetic valve device, which modular device is also provided. The modular valve device comprises two or more device modules and is designed to be delivered unassembled and then assembled in the body lumen at or near the site where implantation occurs. The device modules may be assembled before or after the implantation target is fixed with the anchor, and then placed using the placement system in a manner similar to how a pre-assembled percutaneous valve device may be placed in accordance with the invention. | 07-15-2010 |
20100179649 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FINE ADJUSTMENT OF A PERCUTANEOUS VALVE STRUCTURE - The invention provides a device for fine adjustment of a prosthetic valve device and a method of adjusting the position of a prosthetic valve after implantation. The adjustment mechanism includes complementary structures on a valve member and device frame that cooperate to provide relative axial and/or angular motion between the valve member and device frame (and thus the native vessel). The adjustment mechanism of the invention may also include a means for selectively maintaining the relative position of the valve member and device frame. The device and method are particularly applicable for use with a modular prosthetic valve device that is assembled in the body lumen. | 07-15-2010 |
20100185275 | MODULAR PERCUTANEOUS VALVE STRUCTURE AND DELIVERY METHOD - A modular prosthetic valve device for implantation in a patient is disclosed. The valve device is designed as two or more modules to be delivered unassembled and combined into an assembled valve device in the body—e.g., in the body at or near the site where implantation occurs. The two or more modules may be a support structure and a valve assembly. The valve assembly may be formed from two or more valve sections. Because the valve device of the invention is deliverable as modules, it may have a smaller delivery diameter than pre-assembled percutaneous valves and permits use of a delivery device of reduced diameter. Delivering the valve device as modules increases the flexibility of the valve device during delivery, compared to percutaneous valve devices in the art. The invention further provides a system for and method of delivering such a modular valve device and assembling it in vivo. The modules of the valve device may be connected by pull wires for delivery sequentially to or near the implantation site in the body lumen, and then assembled by remote manipulation using the pull wires. The system may further include a temporary valve that may be deployed to maintain valvular function while the device modules are assembled. The temporary valve may be attached to the delivery device and deployed either before or after the support structure is expanded, or the temporary valve may be attached to the support structure and deployed when the support structure is expanded. Various locking mechanisms are provided for attaching the device modules together. | 07-22-2010 |
20100228339 | LONGITUDINALLY FLEXIBLE STENT - An intravascular stent especially suited for implanting in curved arterial portion. The stent retains longitudinal flexibility after expansion. The stent is formed of intertwined meander patterns forming triangular cells. The cells are adapted to provide radial support, and also provide longitudinal flexibility after expansion. The cells also provide increase coverage of a vessel wall. Loops in the stent are disposed and adapted to cooperate, so that after expansion of said stent within a curved lumen, the stent is curved and cells on the outside of the curve open in length, but narrow in width, whereas cells on the inside of the curve shorten in length, but thicken in width to maintain a density of the stent element area which is much more constant than otherwise between the inside and outside of the curve. The stent also minimizes flaring out by eliminating free loops of the radially supporting circumferential bands of loops. | 09-09-2010 |
20100274350 | HELICAL HYBRID STENT - An expandable helical stent is provided, wherein the stent may be formed of a main stent component and a securement. The main stent component is formed from a flat strip having one or more undulating side bands that may be connected to form geometrically shaped cells and are helically wound to form a stent. The helical coils of the main stent component may be spaced apart or nestled to each other. The nestling of the undulation of adjacent helical windings contributes to maintaining the tubular shape and uniformity of the helically coiled stent. Alternatively, the flat strip may comprise a single undulating pattern. At the ends of the main stent component are end bands, which when wound, form a cylindrical ring. In one embodiment, one or more struts of the main stent component may have a width sufficient to include one or more fenestrations. The fenestrated struts may be connected by loops or turns wherein the material is narrower than that of the fenestrated struts to provide enhanced flexibility. The helical tubular is maintained with a securement. | 10-28-2010 |
20100280593 | STENT WITH VARIABLE FEATURES TO OPTIMIZE SUPPORT AND METHOD OF MAKING SUCH STENT - An intravascular stent especially suited for implanting in curved arterial portions or ostial regions. The stent can include an end region which is fabricated to have a greater radial strength than the remaining axial length of the stent. Such a stent is particularly suited for use in ostial regions, which require greater support near the end of the stent. The stent alternatively can include sections adjacent the end of the stent with greater bending flexibility than the remaining axial length of the stent. Such a stent is particularly suited for use in curved arteries. The stent can also be constructed with an end that has greater radial strength and sections adjacent the end with greater bending flexibility. Such a stent prevents flaring of the stent end during insertion. | 11-04-2010 |
20110022156 | LONGITUDINALLY FLEXIBLE STENT - An intravascular stent especially suited for implanting in curved arterial portions. The stent retains longitudinal flexibility after expansion. The stent is formed of intertwined meander patterns forming triangular cells. The triangular cells are adapted to provide radial support, and also to provide longitudinal flexibility after expansion. The triangular cells provide increased coverage of a vessel wall. The stent can have different portions adapted to optimize radial support or to optimize longitudinal flexibility. Loops in the stent are disposed and adapted to cooperate so that after expansion of said stent within a curved lumen, the stent is curved and cells on the outside of the curve open in length, but narrow in width whereas cells on the inside of the curve shorten in length but thicken in width to maintain a density of stent element area which much more constant than otherwise between the inside and the outside of the curve. As a result, when the stent is coated with a medicine the more constant density of stent elements results in an even dose being applied to the inside wall of the lumen, avoiding the possibility that a toxic dose be supplied at one area while a less than effective dose is applied to another area. | 01-27-2011 |
20110033098 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR STABILIZING A SERIES OF INTRAVASCULAR ULTRASOUND IMAGES AND EXTRACTING VESSEL LUMEN FROM THE IMAGES - A method and system for generating stabilized intravascular ultrasonic images are provided. The system may include a probe instrument, such as a catheter, connected to a processor and a post-processor. The method of using the system to stabilize images and the method for stabilizing images involve the process by which the processor and post-processor stabilize the image. A computer readable medium containing executable instructions for controlling a computer containing the processor and post-processor to perform the method of stabilizing images is also provided. The probe instrument, which has a transmitter for transmitting ultrasonic signals and a receiver for receiving reflected ultrasonic signals that contain information about a tubular environment, such as a body lumen, preferably is a catheter. The processor and post-processor are capable of converting inputted signals into one or more, preferably a series of, images and the post-processor, which determines the center of the environment at each reflection position, detects the edges of the tubular environment and aligns the image center with the environment center thereby limiting the drift of images, which may occur due to movement of the environment, and stabilizing the images. The processor may also be programmed to filter images or series of images to improve the image stabilization and remove motion interference and/or may be programmed to extract the 3D shape of the environment. The method and device are of particular use where motion causes image drift, for example, the imaging a body lumen, in particular a vascular lumen, where image drift may occur due to heart beat or blood flow. | 02-10-2011 |
20110172784 | SELF-ASSEMBLING MODULAR PERCUTANEOUS VALVE AND METHODS OF FOLDING, ASSEMBLY AND DELIVERY - The present invention provides a modular prosthetic valve device designed as two or more device modules that may be delivered to a body lumen unassembled and then assembled into the assembled valve device in the body at least in part using a self-assembly member at or near the site of valve implantation. The device modules may include a support structure and a valve module. The valve module may be delivered in an unassembled, folded delivery configuration, and unfolded and assembled into a working configuration via the self-assembly member. In its unassembled form, the valve module may be a single-piece leaflets substructure or a plurality of valve sections. The self-assembly member has a delivery configuration and a preset configuration, and may be triggered to revert to the preset configuration to assemble the valve module. The modular valve device may be folded in a manner not possible with current valve devices, for example, by rolling the unassembled valve module along its circumferential axis in the direction of its height, so that the diameter of the folded valve module may be equivalent to that of one rolled leaflet. This feature of the invention provides a percutaneous valve device having a smaller delivery diameter than pre-assembled valve devices. This in turn permits use of a delivery device of reduced diameter and increases the flexibility of the loaded delivery device compared to percutaneous valve devices in the art. The invention further provides a system for and method of folding and delivering such a modular valve device and assembling it using the self-assembly member, preferably in the body. | 07-14-2011 |
20110196396 | DEVICE FOR RECANALIZATION OF VESSEL OCCLUSIONS USING GUIDE WIRE AND METHOD OF USE - An attachment mechanism and method for attaching or coupling a guide wire to a catheter for re-canalization or opening a passage through an occlusion in a blood vessel is provided. The attachment mechanism generates friction forces against the guide wire to couple the guide wire to a catheter, which design permits a greater force to be used on the guide wire during a re-canalization procedure. The invention also encompasses use of the attachment mechanism in conjunction with active catheters, which have vibration-generating means to oscillate the distal end of the catheter or a component in the distal end of the catheter, to add vibration motion, preferably axial vibration motion, to the increased force that may be applied to the guide wire for purposes of penetrating an occlusion. The methods of the invention relate to methods of attaching the guide wire to the catheter and methods of treating a vessel having a partial or total occlusion. | 08-11-2011 |
20110238152 | Flat process of preparing drug eluting stents - The present invention provides a method of fabricating a drug delivery stent. In one embodiment, the method involves forming a stent pattern in a flat sheet, where the stent pattern includes reservoirs, generating a flat map of the reservoirs, filling the reservoirs with a composition based on the flat map, and then forming the filled stent pattern into a tubular shape and joining the sides. In another embodiment, the method involves forming a stent pattern in a flat sheet, generating a flat map of discrete portions of the stent pattern that are desirable locations for coating, coating the discrete portions with a composition based on the flat map, and then forming the coated stent pattern into a tubular shape and joining the sides. The invention provides advantages over current methods and drug-delivery stents in that it is faster, more accurate and more cost-efficient manufacturing process for fabricating drug delivery stents, that improves quality and consistency of drug delivery within and across batches of stents, and that permits automated a process of quality control. This method also allows for differential coating on the two surfaces of the stent struts, whereby the two sides are coated with different drugs and/or polymer combinations, or only one side of the strut is coated. | 09-29-2011 |
20120283565 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR GUIDED CHRONIC TOTAL OCCLUSION PENETRATION - An apparatus and method for guided penetration of a chronic total occlusion in a blood vessel are disclosed. The invention is directed to an apparatus that facilitates accurate placement of a drilling tip within a body lumen using ultrasound-based detection to determine the position of the intravascular catheter relative to the vessel occlusion and vessel walls. | 11-08-2012 |
20120283817 | HELICAL HYBRID STENT - An expandable helical stent is provided, wherein the stent may be formed of an amorphous metal alloy or other non-amorphous metal with a securement. The stent is formed from flat or tubular metal in a helical coiled structure which has an undulating pattern. The main stent component may be formed of a single helically coiled component. Alternatively, a plurality of helically coiled ribbons may be used to form a stent heterogeneous in design, material, or other characteristic particular to that stent. The helical tubular structure may be secured with a securement, such as a weld, interlock or a polymer, to maintain the helical coils in a tubular configuration. The helical coils of the main stent component may be spaced apart or nestled to each other to maintain the tubular shape of the helically coiled stent and prevent the polymer layer from sagging at any point between cycles of the coils. | 11-08-2012 |
20120323307 | HYBRID STENT - A stent is provided with a series of short pieces or sections connected together by a bioresorbable polymer. The stent sections are designed to separate or articulate with time as the polymer biodegrades. The time of separation can be controlled by the characteristics of the bioresorbable polymer to allow the stent to be buried in neo-intima. By using a tube made of a bioresorbable polymer, the continuous covering of the tubing may inhibit embolization in the first few weeks after stent implantation within the walls of a vessel and timing for removal of the tube through formulation of the bioresorbable polymer can be controlled to occur when embolization is no longer a risk. When the detachment of the stent pieces or sections occurs, they are fixedly secured within the vessel and each is able to flex with the vessel independently of the other stent segments. | 12-20-2012 |
20130204350 | HELICAL HYBRID STENT - An expandable helical stent with a securement is provided. The stent is formed from flat or tubular metal in a helical coiled structure which has an undulating pattern. The main stent component may be formed of a single helically coiled component. Alternatively, a plurality of helically coiled ribbons may be used to form a stent heterogeneous in design, material, or other characteristi. The helical tubular structure may be secured with a securement, such as a weld, interlock or a polymer, to maintain the helical coils in a tubular configuration. The helical coils of the main stent component may be spaced apart or nestled to each other. The nestling of the undulation of adjacent helical coils contributes to maintaining the tubular shape of the helically coiled stent. In addition, the nestling of helical coils may prevent the polymer layer from sagging at any point between cycles of the helical coils. | 08-08-2013 |
20130245748 | HELICAL HYBRID STENT - An expandable helical stent is provided, wherein the stent may be formed of an amorphous metal alloy or other non-amorphous metal with a securement. The stent is formed from flat or tubular metal in a helical coiled structure which has an undulating pattern. The main stent component may be formed of a single helically coiled component. Alternatively, a plurality of helically coiled ribbons may be used to form a stent heterogeneous in design, material, or other characteristic particular to that stent. The helical tubular structure may be secured with a securement, such as a weld, interlock or a polymer, to maintain the helical coils in a tubular configuration. The helical coils of the main stent component may be spaced apart or nestled to each other. The nestling of the undulation of adjacent helical coils contributes to maintaining the tubular shape of the helically coiled stent. In addition, the nestling of helical coils may prevent the polymer layer from sagging at any point between cycles of the helical coils. | 09-19-2013 |
20130273795 | AMORPHOUS METAL ALLOY MEDICAL DEVICES - This invention provides a new class of medical devices and implants comprising amorphous metal alloys. The medical devices and implants may be temporary or permanent and may comprise other materials as well, such as polymers, ceramics, and conventional crystalline or polycrystalline metal alloys. | 10-17-2013 |
20140074132 | DEVICE FOR RECANALIZATION OF VESSEL OCCLUSIONS USING GUIDE WIRE AND METHOD OF USE - An attachment mechanism and method for attaching or coupling a guide wire to a catheter for re-canalization or opening a passage through an occlusion in a blood vessel is provided. The attachment mechanism generates friction forces against the guide wire to couple the guide wire to a catheter, which design permits a greater force to be used on the guide wire during a re-canalization procedure. The invention also encompasses use of the attachment mechanism in conjunction with active catheters, which have vibration-generating means to oscillate the distal end of the catheter or a component in the distal end of the catheter, to add vibration motion, preferably axial vibration motion, to the increased force that may be applied to the guide wire for purposes of penetrating an occlusion. The methods of the invention relate to methods of attaching the guide wire to the catheter and methods of treating a vessel having a partial or total occlusion. | 03-13-2014 |