Abstract: A balloon catheter comprises an outer shaft having a distal end, an inner shaft situated therein to form an annular fluid line and projecting beyond the distal end of the outer shaft, and a balloon which is dilatable under the influence of a fluid introduced through the fluid line under pressure. At its proximal end the balloon is attached in a fluid-tight manner to the distal end region of the outer shaft at a first attachment zone, and at its distal end is attached in a fluid-tight manner to the distal end region of the inner shaft at a second attachment zone. Between the attachment zones, in the undilated state the balloon is placed in longitudinal folds along its length. The balloon, at least at its distal end, has an untapered design with a thin wall thickness (d) which is essentially unchanged over the length of the balloon, and the longitudinal folds extend into the attachment zone at that location.

Abstract: A stent comprising an essentially tubular open supporting structure (4) of interconnected trusses (9), whereby the supporting structure (4) can be widened radially with deformation of the trusses (9) for application of the stent, and predetermined breaking points (14) in the supporting structure (4) for fragmentation of the stent after application, and the ends (10, 11) of the trusses (9) that are adjacent to the respective predetermined breaking point (14) having a joint design and which are provided in the area of the predetermined breaking point (14), such that the ends (10, 11) of the trusses (9) are held together with articulation under an applied pressure with the predetermined breaking point (14) broken.

Abstract: A radio-opaque marker for medical implants comprising between 10 and 90 weight percent of a biodegradable base component, between 10 and 90 weight percent of one or more radio-opaque elements selected from the consisting of I, Au, Ta, Y, Nb, Mo, Ru, Rh, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir and Bi as a marker component and 10 weight percent of residual components, the aforementioned components amounting to 100 weight percent.

Abstract: An endoprosthesis, in particular an intraluminal endoprosthesis such as a stent, includes a carrier structure, which includes at least one component containing a magnesium alloy of the following composition: Magnesium: between about 60.0 and about 88.0% by weight Rare earth metals: between about 2.0 and about 30.0% by weight Yttrium: between about 2.0% and about 20.0% by weight Zirconium: between about 0.5% and about 5.0% by weight Balance: between 0 and about 10.0% by weight wherein the alloy components add up to 100% by weight.

Abstract: An implant having a base body, comprised either entirely or in part of a biocorrodible metallic material wherein at least the parts of the base body having the biocorrodible metallic material are at least partially covered with a coating of a crosslinked CFx layer that is nonpolymerized and has an F/C ratio in the range of 0.5 to 1.5.

Abstract: A delivery system having a release mechanism (70) for releasing an object (12), in particular, a supporting body, which is carried by the catheter (20), whereby the catheter (20) has at least one outer shaft (50) which is relatively displaceable toward the object (12) to release the object (12). The catheter (20) has a winding device (100) on its proximal end (24) which winds up a proximal section (52) of the outer shaft (50) to create a relative displacement of the outer shaft (50).

Abstract: An implant, in particular an intraluminal endoprosthesis, is provided having an implant body containing biodegradable metallic material, preferably iron. To accelerate the degradation, at least a portion of the surface of the implant body has a first coating formed from a composition containing at least one element selected from the group including strontium and calcium. An inexpensive method for manufacturing such an implant is also described.

Abstract: An endoprosthesis, in particular an intraluminal endoprosthesis, including a tubular base body and at least one function element, the at least one function element also being tubular and being arranged on the base body in such a way that the at least one function element surrounds the base body at least partially and in at least partial areas, so that it is aligned concentrically with the base body.

Abstract: An agent depot for mechanical connection to a surface of an endovascular implantable body, comprising one or more polymers, one or more bioactive agents, the agent depot being mechanically connectable to the implantable body by a force fit or an adhesive.

Abstract: One example embodiment of the present invention relates to an implant, particularly an intraluminal endoprosthesis, having a body that contains metallic material, preferably iron. The implant body has a first layer with at least one ionic compound that contains ions of at least one halogen, particularly chloride ions and/or bromide ions, on at least part of its surface. Furthermore, a method for the production of such an implant is described.

Abstract: Stent, as well as a method and device for fabricating the stent, wherein the stent has a tubular lattice structure comprising individual struts and at least one strut of which at least one longitudinal section runs with at least one directional component in the radial circumferential direction of the stent, wherein the surface of the longitudinal section facing the outside of the stent is curved only about the longitudinal axis of the stent. According to the invention, the surface of longitudinal section of the strut, which surface faces the inside of the stent, has such a curvature that the strut cross section is fluidically optimized.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an implant, in particular an intraluminal endoprosthesis, having a body containing metallic material, preferably iron. The following manufacturing method is provided for promotion of the anti-inflammatory effect of the implant: (i) providing the body of the implant; (ii) producing an at least partially closed pore structure in a portion of the structure of the implant body close to the surface; and (iii) incorporating NOx into the cavities of the pore structure. Also described is an implant manufactured in this manner.

Abstract: An implant system comprising a functional implant (5, 6) that fulfills a medical function, particularly a bone implant, which is formed at least in part of a metal material that can be degraded by the body (2) of the implant wearer, as well as a control device (7) for controlling the degradation behavior of the functional implant (5, 6). The control device (7) has a counter-electrode (10) to the functional implant (5, 6), and a voltage source (8) for making available a polarization voltage (?U) between functional implant (5, 6, 15) and counter-electrode (10), to control the degradation behavior of the functional implant (5, 6).

Abstract: A stent comprising a degradable metal stent main body; a partition layer which is applied to the surface of the stent main body so that at least parts of the surface of the luminal side are not covered; and an agent-containing layer which is applied to the surface of the partition layer at least partially on the abluminal side of the stent main body and comprises one or more agents and possibly one or more polymers.

Abstract: A stent is provided having a base body circumscribing a cylindrical shape and radially expandable from a contracted starting position into a dilated support position, including a plurality of meander-shaped struts disposed in the circumferential direction and arrayed on one another in the axial direction, each strut being meander-shaped in its coarse structure and made of a flexible material, and at least one axial connector in the axial direction, connecting the meander-shaped struts of two axially adjacent meandering curves, wherein the at least one axial connector connects the inside radius of a zenith point of a first meandering curve with a second meandering curve, characterized in that the at least one axial connector at the inside radius of the zenith point of the first meandering curve has an at least double-arm structure.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a degradation-inhibiting first layer on the surface of an implant body, in particular an intraluminal endoprosthesis, whereby the body has at least one metallic material, which is at least largely biodegradable, comprising the following steps: preparing the body of the implant, and applying the first layer to at least a portion of the body surface, whereby the first layer contains magnesium stearate. An implant obtainable by such a method.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an implant, in particular an intraluminal endoprosthesis, having a body containing metallic material, preferably iron. The following manufacturing method is provided for promotion of the anti-inflammatory effect of the implant: (i) providing the body of the implant; (ii) producing an at least partially closed pore structure in a portion of the structure of the implant body close to the surface; and (iii) incorporating NOX into the cavities of the pore structure. Also described is an implant manufactured in this manner.

Abstract: An implant having a base body, comprised either entirely or in part of a biocorrodible metallic material wherein at least the parts of the base body having the biocorrodible metallic material are at least partially covered with a coating of a crosslinked CFx layer that is nonpolymerized and has an F/C ratio in the range of 0.5 to 1.5.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an implant, in particular an intraluminal endoprosthesis, having a body containing metallic material, preferably iron. For controlling the degradation of the implant the method includes the following steps: (a) providing a first part of the implant body; and (b) performing heat treatment which alters the carbon content and/or the boron content and/or the nitrogen content in the structure of a near-surface boundary layer in the first part of the implant body in such a way that strain on the lattice or a lattice transformation, optionally following a subsequent mechanical load, is achieved in the near-surface boundary layer. Such an implant is also described.

Abstract: A biocorrodible implant includes a base formed from magnesium or a biocorrodible magnesium alloy, whose surface has a corrosion-inhibiting coating. A diffusion layer, which covers the base, differs in composition from the implant material. The diffusion layer contains at least one metallic element of the implant material and at least one corrosion-inhibiting element selected from the group of Al, Zn, Ca, Si, In, Mn, Sc and RE, where RE stands for rare earth metals. The implant optionally includes a metal layer of at least one of the corrosion-inhibiting elements selected from the group of Al, Zn, Ca, Si, In, Mn, Sc and RE covering the diffusion layer, and a passivating layer of metal oxides, metal nitrides or metal fluorides of at least one of the corrosion-inhibiting elements selected from the group of Al, Zn, Ca, Si, In, Mn, Sc and RE covering the diffusion layer or the metal layer.