Patents Examined by Tood J Scherbel
  • Patent number: 9326859
    Abstract: A delivery device for an annular implant that includes a balloon expansion mechanism and an annular implant having an adjustable dimension. The balloon expansion mechanism includes an inflation tube attached to a non-occluding balloon collar which is supported by trusses radially extending from a trocar. The annular implant further includes a flexible ring core, contiguous coiled spacers, and anchoring blocks. The flexible ring core is adjusted via a cinching mechanism. The anchoring blocks are spaced along the ring core by the contiguous coiled spacers, which keeps the distance between each pair of anchoring blocks equidistant as the ring core diameter is manipulated by the device user. The annular implant can also include gunbarrel elements housed in the trocar. Each gunbarrel element contains a gunbarrel pusher which drives an attachment element into the annular implant and annular tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: St. Jude Medical, Cardiology Division, Inc.
    Inventors: John P. Cartledge, James Badia, James McCrea, Luis Baez, Peter Bentley