Abstract: A delivery system includes an elongated shaft component, a self-expanding valve prosthesis, at least one cinching suture, and a radially-expandable sleeve. The valve prosthesis is disposed over a distal portion of the elongated shaft component and includes a compressed configuration for delivery and an expanded configuration for deployment. The at least one cinching suture removably couples the valve prosthesis to the elongated shaft component and radially compresses the valve prosthesis into the compressed configuration for delivery. The sleeve is secured to and encircles an outer surface of the valve prosthesis. The sleeve has a delivery state with a first diameter extending over a full length of the valve prosthesis in the compressed configuration and a deployed state with a greater second diameter extending over the full length of the valve prosthesis in the expanded configuration. The sleeve is configured to prevent paravalvular leakage in situ in the deployed state.

Abstract: An improved heart bioprosthetic device having a metal frame wireform or stent having an outer external surface. The metal frame has a bond layer coating at least a portion of the external surface and a coating layer disposed on at least a portion of the bond layer. The bond layer comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of: chromium, titanium, zirconium, aluminum, platinum, palladium, and niobium. The coating layer is selected from the group consisting of: a metal nitride, a metal oxide, a metal carbide, and combinations thereof. The coating layer may have a thickness of about 10 ?m or less and a grain size of about 10 nm to about 15 nm, and may be characterized as polycrystalline with randomly-oriented grains with both cubic and orthorhombic phases. In one embodiment, the bond layer comprises chromium and the coating layer comprises chromium nitride.

Abstract: A device and method for deploying an intestinal sleeve is disclosed. The intestinal sleeve has an impermeable layer and a tissue ingrowth layer. The intestinal sleeve is temporarily anchored to the wall of a patient's duodenum and the wall tissue grows into the tissue ingrowth layer anchoring the intestinal sleeve within the patient's duodenum.

Abstract: A prosthesis for use in a human heart as a valve that reduces or eliminates blood stagnation, and therefore, the possibility of thrombosis while increasing available blood flow area through the artificial heart valve without using hinges which can become inoperable due to interaction with blood and human tissue. The artificial heart valve includes a supporting ring, a pair of radially-disposed supporting arms having specially designed and support heads of a particular shape and a pair of semi-circular valve plates that hang from the support arm and engage the support arm heads. The valve plates each include a specially designed slot that receives the support arm head which allows movement of each of the valve plates during operation of the valve to prevent accumulation of human tissue from blocking the operation of the valve.