Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting and disrupting obstructions (such as clot material) within a blood vessel are disclosed herein. In some examples, the present technology comprises a system for detecting and disrupting a clot in a cerebral blood vessel of a patient, where the system comprises a treatment environment, a detection system, and an energy delivery device. The detection system may be configured to determine the presence of a blood clot within a cerebral blood vessel of a patient. In some embodiments, the detection system is configured to obtain data characterizing a position of the clot within the treatment environment. The energy delivery device can be configured to receive the data characterizing the position of the clot and, based on the data, deliver energy to the clot, thereby disrupting the clot and restoring blood flow in the affected blood vessel.

Abstract: A robot agent (102) includes an electro-mechanical subsystem (202), a sensor subsystem (204) having one or more sensors, and a computer hardware subsystem (206) to execute one or more sets of executable instructions (212, 214, 216, 218, 220). The one or more sets of executable instructions manipulate the robot agent to predict an action to be implemented by the robot agent in performing a task (112) and predict whether the robot agent will fail in performing the action. The one or more sets of executable instructions further manipulate the robot agent to, responsive to predicting the robot agent will fail in performing the action, obtain guidance input (116) for the first action from at least one guidance source, the guidance input representing guidance for performing the action by the robot agent, and manipulate the electro-mechanical subsystem to perform the action using the guidance input.

Abstract: A medical device, configured to perform an endovascular therapy, e.g., thrombectomy, can comprise an elongate manipulation member having a first connection member proximate a distal end of the elongate manipulation member, and an intervention member having a second connection member proximate a proximal end of the intervention member. The second connection member can be connected to the first connection member such that the first connection member can rotate relative to the second connection member.

Abstract: A bioprosthetic tissue having a reduced propensity to calcify in vivo, the bioprosthetic tissue. The bioprosthetic tissue comprises an aldehyde cross-linked and stressed bioprosthetic tissue comprising exposed calcium, phosphate or immunogenic binding sites that have been reacted with a calcification mitigant. The bioprosthetic tissue has a reduced propensity to calcify in vivo as compared to aldehyde cross-linked bioprosthetic tissue that has not been stressed and reacted with the calcification mitigant.

Abstract: A medical device configured to perform an endovascular therapy can include an elongate manipulation member and an intervention member. The elongate manipulation member can include a distal end portion. The intervention member can include a proximal end portion and a mesh. The proximal end portion can be coupled with the distal end portion of the elongate manipulation member. The mesh can have a plurality of cells in a tubular configuration and being compressible to a collapsed configuration for delivery to an endovascular treatment site through a catheter and being self-expandable from the collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration. The mesh can include an anodic metal and a cathodic metal. The anodic metal and the cathodic metal can each form a fraction of a total surface area of the mesh.

Abstract: Retrieval of material from vessel lumens can be improved by electrically enhancing attachment of the material to the thrombectomy system. The system can an interventional element configured to be delivered to a treatment site and to be electrically coupled to an extracorporeal power supply. The interventional element can be surface treated (e.g., via electrochemical anodization) to achieve a desired electrical conductivity gradient over the surface of the interventional element. The electrical conductivity gradient can result in a more desirable surface charge distribution upon delivery of electrical current to the interventional element.

Abstract: A medical device, configured to perform an endovascular therapy, e.g., thrombectomy, can comprise an elongate manipulation member having a first connection member proximate a distal end of the elongate manipulation member, and an intervention member having a second connection member proximate a proximal end of the intervention member. The second connection member can be connected to the first connection member such that the first connection member can rotate relative to the second connection member.

Abstract: A medical device configured to perform an endovascular therapy can include an elongate manipulation member and an intervention member. The elongate manipulation member can include a distal end portion. The intervention member can include a proximal end portion and a mesh. The proximal end portion can be coupled with the distal end portion of the elongate manipulation member. The mesh can have a plurality of cells in a tubular configuration and being compressible to a collapsed configuration for delivery to an endovascular treatment site through a catheter and being self-expandable from the collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration. The mesh can include an anodic metal and a cathodic metal. The anodic metal and the cathodic metal can each form a fraction of a total surface area of the mesh.

Abstract: Compressible heart valve annulus sizing templates suitable for minimally-invasive or otherwise reduced accessibility surgeries. The sizing templates may be folded, rolled, or otherwise compressed into a reduced configuration for passage through an access tube or other such access channel. Once expelled from the access tube the sizing templates expand to their original shape for use in sizing the annulus. The templates may be formed of an elastomeric polymer material such as silicone, a highly elastic metal such as NITINOL, or both. Grasping tabs or connectors for handles permit manipulation from outside the body. A NITINOL wireform may be compressed for passage through an access tube and expelled from the distal end thereof into a cloth cover to assume a sizer shape.

Abstract: A medical device, configured to perform an endovascular therapy, e.g., thrombectomy, can comprise an elongate manipulation member and an intervention member. The intervention member can comprise a proximal end portion and a mesh. The proximal end portion can be coupled with the distal end portion of the elongate manipulation member. The mesh can have a plurality of cells and, be compressible to a collapsed configuration for delivery to an endovascular treatment site through a catheter, and be self-expandable from the collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration. At least a portion of the mesh, from a first location to a second location along the mesh, can be configured such that an amount of cell deformation in response to longitudinally directed tensile forces decreases by less than 5% or increases in a distal direction along the portion of the mesh.

Abstract: A bioprosthetic tissue having a reduced propensity to calcify in vivo, the bioprosthetic tissue. The bioprosthetic tissue comprises an aldehyde cross-linked and stressed bioprosthetic tissue comprising exposed calcium, phosphate or immunogenic binding sites that have been reacted with a calcification mitigant. The bioprosthetic tissue has a reduced propensity to calcify in vivo as compared to aldehyde cross-linked bioprosthetic tissue that has not been stressed and reacted with the calcification mitigant.

Abstract: Bandwidth consumption for IO paths between a storage system and host may be managed. It may be determined whether there is congestion on a front-end port (FEP) link. For example, the storage system may monitor for a notification from the switch in accordance with a Fibre Channel (FC) protocol. If a notification is received indicating congestion on an FEP link, the bandwidth thresholds (BWTs) for one or more IO paths between the storage system and one or more hosts that include the FEP link may be reduced. The host port BWTs may continue to be reduced until a congestion notification communication has not been received for a predetermined amount of time, in response to which the host port BWTs for one or more host port links on IO paths that include the FEP link may be increased. Similar techniques may be employed for an FEP link determined to be faulty.

Abstract: Compressible heart valve annulus sizing templates suitable for minimally-invasive or otherwise reduced accessibility surgeries. The sizing templates may be folded, rolled, or otherwise compressed into a reduced configuration for passage through an access tube or other such access channel. Once expelled from the access tube the sizing templates expand to their original shape for use in sizing the annulus. The templates may be formed of an elastomeric polymer material such as silicone, a highly elastic metal such as NITINOL, or both. Grasping tabs or connectors for handles permit manipulation from outside the body. A NITINOL wireform may be compressed for passage through an access tube and expelled from the distal end thereof into a cloth cover to assume a sizer shape.

Abstract: Retrieval of material from vessel lumens can be improved by use of a distal element comprising an expandable mesh. a treatment device includes an elongated member having a proximal portion and a distal portion configured to be positioned within a blood vessel at a treatment site at or near a thrombus. A distal element comprising an expandable mesh is coupled to the distal portion of the elongated member via a connection assembly. In an expanded state, at least a portion of the mesh is configured to be in apposition with the blood vessel wall at the treatment site to anchor or stabilize the elongated member with respect to the blood vessel. The distal element can be electrically coupled to an extracorporeal current generator.

Abstract: Devices and methods for deploying self-cinching surgical clips. A device can access at least two layers of tissue or material from only one side of the tissue or material and puncture through the two layers of tissue or material. The various configurations of clips disclosed herein can be made of a superelastic material such as Nitinol, and have a constrained and a relaxed state, and no sharp edges or tips so as to reduce tissue irritation following deployment. The clip can be disposed within the housing of the delivery device and held in a constrained state until deployment wherein the clip assumes its relaxed state, where the ends of the clip can be brought into close approximation, thereby securing the layers of tissue or material together.

Abstract: A core member and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the core member comprises a first portion including first and second materials, and a second portion distal to the first portion and including only the first material. The first and second portions can each be tapered in a continuous or discontinuous manner. The second portion can have a minimum length that is substantially straight and heat-treated or aged to have a minimum strength modulus.

Abstract: Devices and methods for deploying self-cinching surgical clips. A device can access at least two layers of tissue or material from only one side of the tissue or material and puncture through the two layers of tissue or material. The various configurations of clips disclosed herein can be made of a superelastic material such as Nitinol, and have a constrained and a relaxed state, and no sharp edges or tips so as to reduce tissue irritation following deployment. The clip can be disposed within the housing of the delivery device and held in a constrained state until deployment wherein the clip assumes its relaxed state, where the ends of the clip can be brought into close approximation, thereby securing the layers of tissue or material together.

Abstract: Medical devices, such as implants, having a high-modulus alloy. The alloy includes a biocompatible refractory-metal-based alloy having multiple refractory metals. The alloy in various embodiments has an elastic modulus above about 300 GPa, and includes tungsten, molybdenum, and tungsten.

Abstract: An aspect of the invention provides an ion beam sputtering apparatus comprising an ion source configured to generate a hollow ion beam along a beam axis that is located in a hollow part of the beam; and a sputtering target having a target body that defines at least one target surface, the target body comprising sputterable particles, the target body being located relative to the ion source so that the ion beam hits the at least one target surface to sputter particles from the target body towards a surface of an object to be modified. The target body is shaped so that the particles sputtered towards a surface to be modified are generally sputtered from the sputtering target in radially extending sputter directions relative to the beam axis, the sputter directions being one of (i) directions extending towards the beam axis and (ii) directions extending away from the beam axis.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a heart valve using bioprosthetic tissue that exhibits reduced in vivo calcification. The method includes applying a calcification mitigant such as a capping agent or an antioxidant to the tissue to specifically inhibit oxidation in tissue. Also, the method can be used to inhibit oxidation in dehydrated tissue. The capping agent suppresses the formation of binding sites in the tissue that are exposed or generated by the oxidation and otherwise would, upon implant, attract calcium, phosphate, immunogenic factors, or other precursors to calcification. In one method, tissue leaflets in assembled bioprosthetic heart valves are pretreated with an aldehyde capping agent prior to dehydration and sterilization.