Abstract: An implantable prosthetic valve assembly having a support stent, or frame, having circumferential struts with multiple bends forming obtuse angles when the valve assembly is expanded to its functional size. The frame can be manufactured with one or more of the circumferential struts in a partially collapsed state and a flexible valve member can be mounted to the partially collapsed frame. The partially collapsed struts can be formed with multiple bends having angles selected to facilitate crimping of the frame to a profile suitable for percutaneous delivery. When the frame is expanded, the bends can expand to form obtuse angles, thereby enhancing the rigidity of the frame to better resist closing forces exerted on the valve assembly.

Abstract: 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 may be implanted using a balloon catheter.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A method for exercising one or more muscles of the body wherein one or more muscle(s) are contracted to move a limb through a range of motion in opposition to an oscillating resistive force. During a muscular contraction, the direction and/or the magnitude of the resistive force changes in an oscillatory fashion thereby inducing perturbations in the musculature. The oscillations in the magnitude and/or the direction of the resistive force include a plurality of cycles during a single repetition of muscular contraction. The waveform and frequency of the oscillations may vary during a repetition or remain constant. Embodiments of devices providing an oscillatory resistive force are presented. The embodiments provide means for enabling an exerciser to perform resistance-type exercises in accordance with the method. A guided spherical bearing may be used for rotating a lead pulley or a rigid arm to create lateral resistive force oscillations.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A method for exercising one or more muscles of the body wherein one or more muscle(s) are contracted to move a limb through a range of motion in opposition to an oscillating resistive force. In accordance with the method, during a muscular contraction, the direction and/or the magnitude of the resistive force changes in an oscillatory fashion. The oscillations in the magnitude and/or the direction of the resistive force include a plurality of cycles during a single repetition of muscular contraction. The waveform and frequency of the oscillations may vary during a repetition or remain constant. Embodiments of devices providing an oscillatory resistive force are presented. The embodiments provide means for enabling an exerciser to perform resistance-type exercises in accordance with the method.

Abstract: A method of implanting a resilient self-molding annuloplasty ring including stretching it to an expanded diameter and attaching it to a heart valve annulus, then permitting the ring to contract to reduce the diameter of the annulus. The ring may be positioned on an insertion device that maintains the ring in its expanded diameter while attaching to the annulus. The resilient self molding annuloplasty ring which may be enlarged prior to implantation to facilitate implantation within a dilated or otherwise incompetent valve annulus having sufficient contractive force to render a valve competent. The self molding annuloplasty ring of the invention may further comprise integral attachment devices to aid in the implantation process.

Abstract: An skateboard security rack having a pair of support members defining a slot therebetween for receiving the deck of a skateboard. At least one of the support members has a width smaller than the wheelbase of the skateboard received in the slot. Locking structure between the support members and across the top of the slot retains the skateboard within the slot. The locking structure may be separate elements coupled to each of the support members and a lock therebetween. Alternatively, the locking structure may be a lock such as a conventional U-shape lock. If separate elements coupled to each of the support members are used, they may be fixed in place, or movable such as longitudinally slideable along the support members. The support members may be elongated hollow or solid members, or formed in panels. The support members are desirably hollow tubes bent into inverted U-shapes. Bases of the support members may be mounted to a variety of base surfaces such as flat or curvilinear, horizontal or vertical.

Abstract: A hemostasis valve for sealing around elongate medical instruments inserted into the body. The valve has an elastomeric valve body adapted to be received with a rigid introducer housing and seal thereagainst. The valve body has a distal end and a proximal end, and a cavity opening at the proximal end to receive the medical instruments. A pair of duckbill walls extends in the distal direction and converges and meets at a slit opening. The slit opening has an H-shape that effectively seals around multiple sizes of medical instruments, from the smallest catheter to the largest bore catheters. The duckbill walls may be planar or curvilinear, and may be reinforced with one or more ribs extending outward therefrom.

Abstract: A woven vascular graft having a texturized outer surface to promote tissue ingrowth into the graft. The outer surface of the graft is equipped with a plurality of threads that are woven into, and extend from, the outer surface. The threads may be arranged in rows, lines or a geometric pattern. Alternatively, the threads may be towel-like. Such towel-like threads may be arranged in the form of a cuff at each end of the graft, or may cover larger portions of the exterior of the graft. The graft may be equipped with only one texture, or with a plurality of different textures.

Abstract: A slide closure for joining overlapping edges of flexible or rigid substrates having complementary touch fasteners thereon. The slide closure has a pair of closing surfaces facing each other and structure joining the closing surfaces together so as to define two channels opening in opposite directions. The substrates are received within the channels such that they overlap between the closing surfaces. The closing surfaces converge to a nip having a dimension small enough to cause the complementary touch fasteners to engage when the slide closure is displaced along the overlapping edges in a first direction. The slide closure may further include a spanning member disposed generally between the closing surfaces that serves to structurally join the closing surfaces, partly define the channels on either side, and provide diverging separating surfaces that cause the complementary touch fasteners to disengage when the slide closure is displaced in a second direction opposite the first direction.

Abstract: A vascular access device is provided that has a device lumen valve and a safety valve feature to prevent leakage of blood from a lumen of such device. The vascular access device includes a sheath which may have an outer tube and structure defining a device lumen located therein. The access device further includes a detachable device valve which provides sealing of the device lumen. In addition, a non-detachable hemostasis safety valve is provided on the proximal end of the device lumen to seal the device lumen when no device valve is present. The device valve attaches to and simultaneously opens the proximal end of the hemostasis safety valve. In one embodiment, the device valve includes a distal projection that pierces an elastomeric valve member of the hemostasis safety valve. The elastomeric valve member of the hemostasis safety valve is stiffer than an elastomeric valve member of the device valve, and prevents introduction of guidewires and highly flexible catheters therethrough.

Abstract: A dental instrument (10) has an elongated shaft (16) and a user grip handle (26). A dental tool (12) extends from one end (18) of the shaft (16). A rotatable sleeve (14) is rotatably mounted to the shaft (16) and rotates relative to the shaft (16) and the dental tool (12). The rotatable sleeve (14) is mounted to the shaft (16) between the user grip handle (26) and the dental tool (12). During use of the dental instrument (10) the rotatable sleeve (14) contacts a portion of the patient's mouth and rotates as the dental instrument (10) is moved to provide greater comfort to the patient.

Abstract: The method, device and system for electrical sealing of a puncture opening in a blood vessel wall. In a first embodiment, a vascular sealing probe has two bipolar electrodes formed thereon, is insertable to a position whereat the bipolar tip is adjacent the blood vessel puncture site to effect electrocauterization or electrocoagulation of the puncture site. In a second embodiment the bipolar vascular sealing probe has a first electrode formed thereon and an electrode-guide wire has the second bipolar electrode formed thereon. The electrode-guide wire is passable through a lumen formed in the probe such that the second electrode on the electrode-guide wire is positioned close enough to the first electrode positioned on the probe to permit electrical current to pass therebetween.

Abstract: An enhanced antimicrobial antithrombogenic medical device is formed by using an oligodynamic metal and a noble metal with a polymer, and forming the mixture into a device. By using low concentrations of conductive polymers or ionophoric compounds, non-conductive, or highly plasticized polymers can be likewise blended into an iontophoretic-capable composition. The surface of the device may be treated with a solvent to remove the top surface of the polymer and create surface voids in the composition in order to expose previously encapsulated iontophoretic materials. This surface treatment results in a larger reaction area of the iontophoretic capable composition that produces larger yields of bacteriostatic oligodynamic ions for a longer duration thereby increasing the antimicrobial effectiveness of the composition. The surface of the antimicrobial composition may be treated with an anticoagulant such as heparin or heparin complexed with a quaternary ammonium salt for an added bacteriostatic effect.

Abstract: A one-handed blood sampling reservoir for an infusion line having a configuration which allows discard fluid to be drawn into the reservoir and then returned to the patient in two squeezing motions. Both drawing and returning steps are performed by squeezing two of a plurality of finger grips provided on the reservoir. The reservoir may include a bracket which enables one-handed operation in either a hand-held or a pole-mounted configurations. In the alternative, the reservoir and finger grips may be formed by telescoped inner and outer housings without a bracket. The reservoir desirably includes a syringe-like body forming a chamber and a plunger/piston assembly reciprocal therein to vary the volume of the chamber. A narrow gap is provided in the chamber open to both inlet and outlet ports when the piston is fully seated to ensure a consistent and minimum flush volume in the chamber.

Abstract: In a fluid sampling system, a pre-slit injection site includes a housing with a flow path therethrough. A first end of the housing carries a pre-slit septum. One form of a blunt cannula, usable with the injection site, carries a locking member. When the pre-slit injection site slidably receives the blunt cannula, the locking member latches to the injection site and creates a mechanically coupled unit. Another form of the cannula includes an elongated member having a tapered distal end region and a substantially cylindrical sheath surrounding the elongated member to protect it from inadvertent touch contamination. The sheath may include means defining at least two slots opposite one another at its distal end and the sheath may be outwardly tapered.

Abstract: Methods for utilizing a device for blocking (e.g., embolizing) the side branches of an anatomical passageway under endoscopic guidance. The device comprises an elongate catheter body having a side branch blocking apparatus, such as an embolization catheter, disposed therein and further incorporating an endoscope (e.g., an angioscope). The incorporated endoscope is useable to a) visually locate side branches which emanate from the anatomical passageway and b) visually observe the operation of the side branch blocking apparatus. Disclosed are methods for performing in situ embolization of the side branches of a vein, under angioscopic visualization. The endoscopic component of the device may also be utilized to visually observe the use and/or effect of one or more separate device, such as valvulotome(s) used for cutting venous valves located within the lumen of a vein.