Abstract: A stent introducer has a delivery sheath positioned to restrain a self expandable stent. A pull wire is connected with the delivery sheath and extends through a pull wire lumen to enable remote retraction of the delivery sheath. The distal end of the pull wire lumen is associated with a region of weakness in the structure such that the region of weakness is torn on retraction of the delivery sheath.

Abstract: There is disclosed a tri-leaflet valve (100) in which the leaflets (102) extend for substantially the entire length of the valve (100). The valve (100) is provide with a waist (106). An element (16) inserted in the tri-leaflet valve (100) can be sealed by closure of the valve (100), for example by pressurization or twisting. The seat is more effective then prior art seals.

Abstract: The haemostatic valve assembly (10) includes a housing (14) with a chamber (16) therewithin. A flexible valve element (26) is located in the chamber (16) and supported by the housing (14). A source (28) of pressurized fluid can be fed into the chamber (16) through a port (18) in the housing (14). A catheter, dilator, pusher or other elongate insert fed through the haemostatic valve assembly (10) can be sealed by the application of fluid pressure into the chamber (16), which causes the sides of the valve element (26) to press against the insert (24) thereby to provide an effective seal.

Abstract: A vascular filter retrieval device comprising a catheter and a loop for engaging a filter is described. The loop is extendable from a proximal end of the catheter and comprises a resilient wire. The wire may be a metal alloy such as an ELGILOY® alloy. The loop is typically radiopaque and may have a platinum or palladium wire coiled around at least a part thereof. Also described is a method of retrieving a vascular filter from a patient using the device. The catheter is introduced into the vena cava of a patient adjacent the filter. The loop is advanced so that it extends from the proximal end of the catheter and surrounds the filter. The loop is then engaged with a hook on the filter and the device and filter removed from the patient.

Abstract: A guide wire (10) for a catheter carrying an implant includes alternating radio-opaque zones (16) and radio-transparent zones (18) formed from a granular material at a portion of the guide wire (10) just proximal to a flexible tip (12). The granular material is compressed within a sheath formed by the guide wire (10) and held in place by a bung (11). By regularly spacing the radio-opaque zones (16), the guide wire (10) enables in situ measurements to be taken within a patient's vasculature. The use of granular material to form the radio-opaque zones (16) and the radio-transparent zones (18) provides rigidity to the portion of the guide wire (10) proximal to the tip (12).

Abstract: A stent graft delivery device (10) has an indwelling catheter (26) extending from a handle (12) through a pusher lumen and a stent graft lumen outside the guide wire catheter (32) of the delivery device towards the nose cone dilator (16). The indwelling catheter comprises a material able to transmit rotational and longitudinal movement (advancement and withdrawal) from the distal end to the proximal end thereof and a more flexible tip (24). The indwelling catheter facilitates catheterization of a branch artery.

Abstract: A deployment handle for an implant deployment device (100) facilitates withdrawal of a sheath (32). The sheath (32) is gripped between a first cam cleat (122) and a first ledge (124) and a second cam cleat (126) and a second ledge (128). The first cam cleat (122) and the first ledge (124) are attached to a carriage (120), which moves in a withdrawal direction upon actuation of a lever (130). During movement of the carriage (120) in the withdrawal direction, the first cam cleat (122) grips the sheath (32) or a sheath pulling member (118) thus causing movement of the sheath (32) in the withdrawal direction. During this movement, the second cam cleat (126) releases its grip upon the sheath (32) or a sheath pulling member (118). Upon release of the lever (130), the carriage (120) moves in a direction opposite to the withdrawal direction by means of a helical spring (140).

Abstract: An implant deployment device (10) includes a pusher member (30), inner catheter (24), dilator tip (20) upon which an implant (18) is supported during deployment into a lumen of a patient. A sheath (32) substantially surrounds the pusher member (30), the inner catheter (24), the dilator tip (20), covering the implant (18) and containing the implant (18) therewithin. The pusher member (30), inner catheter (24), dilator tip (20) has at least one longitudinal groove formed in its outer surface. This engages with at least one tooth (112) formed in an inner surface of the sheath (32) or an inner surface of a component of the device that is attached to the sheath (32), such as a clamping collar (90) or a locking unit (100). The tooth (112) engages with a longitudinal groove (80) and is able to move along the groove (80) in a longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A stent has an engagement member (9). A stent retrieval system has a tubular member (13) and a retrieval member (14) with an engagement means (15). The engagement member is attached to an end row of cells of the tubular stent body (1). The cells in one annular row of cells are interconnected with the subsequent row of similarly oriented cells (2a) at areas of interconnection (7) which in the subsequent annular row of cells are circumferentially offset with respect to the connections (8) between the cells in said subsequent annular row of cells.

Abstract: There is disclosed a locking unit (100) for locking a pusher (128) to a sheath assembly (164). The locking unit (100) includes a longitudinal locking portion (102) and a radial locking portion (104). The longitudinal locking portion (102) includes a plurality of cantilevered fingers (110) provided with longitudinally extending teeth (112) on internal surfaces thereof. A nut (108) can be tightened in order to bias the cantilevered arms (110) towards a pusher (128) such that the teeth (112) indent the outer surface of the pusher (128) to produce a strong and stable locking connection thereto. The radial locking section (104) latches onto the assembly integral with the sheath (164) so as to provide a radial locking action as well as a longitudinal locking action. The locking unit (100) provides a strong and reliable locking action between the pusher (128) and the sheath assembly (164) and can be easily removed by a clinician or surgeon during the deployment process.

Abstract: A process to load a medical device comprising a shape memory material into a delivery system is described herein. According to one aspect, the method includes applying a force to the medical device to obtain a delivery configuration thereof, where the device is at a first temperature within an R-phase temperature range of the shape memory material during application of the force. The medical device is cooled in the delivery configuration to a second temperature at or below a martensite finish temperature of the shape memory material. The force is then removed from the medical device, and the device is loaded into a delivery system. Preferably, the medical device substantially maintains the delivery configuration during the loading process.

Abstract: A stent delivery sheath has a distal portion extending circumferentially around a stent, the delivery sheath tapering distally of the stent to a reduced diameter at the distal end of the sheath so providing an atraumatic or dilating surface distally of the stent. The distal portion of the delivery sheath comprises a low friction inner layer and an elastic outer layer both extending to the distal end of the sheath. The inner layer has at least one separation line extending longitudinally of the sheath to the distal end to define at least two leaf edges in the radially inner layer which are configured to move circumferentially with respect to each other to accommodate elastic radial expansion of the outer layer as the sheath is retracted proximally with respect to the stent.

Abstract: An endovascular stent graft assembly (10) for use with abdominal aorta aneurysms (70) and having a main stent graft body (12) and a separate attachment graft tube (14) that extends proximally therefrom having the proximal attachment stent (50) thereon for infrarenal attachment of the assembly (10) to the aorta (74). A distal end portion (44) of the attachment graft tube (14) underlies the proximal end portion (30) of the main stent graft body (12) and presses outwardly there against forming a friction fit, at an overlapping region (64). The main stent graft body (12) has an ipsilateral leg (22) and a contralateral stump (24) at the bifurcation (26). After deployment of the attachment graft tube (14), the contralateral leg (16) is deployed at the contralateral stump to complete the stent graft assembly (10).

Abstract: An implant release mechanism for releasing, for example, a stent (60) is provided with three restraining wires (62) which pass in the space between a wire guide catheter (24) and a pusher sheath or dilator (30) and are arranged substantially equi-angularly threrearound. Each restraining wire (62) holds both the proximal and distal ends of the stent (60), in this case each holding a proportion of the ends of the stent (60). When the restraining wires (62) are pulled they will first unwrap from the proximal end of the stent (60) and will then release the distal end of the stent (60) so as to allow the stent to become fully deployed within the lumen of the patient. The use of common release wires improves deployment of implants and reduces the number and volume of components in the device, thereby allowing it to occupy a smaller volume.

Abstract: An aortic graft device (10) is provided with a graft portion (12) integrally fixed to a corrugated trunk portion (14). A fixing ring (16) is provided between the graft and trunk portions. The trunk portion (14) can be everted into the graft portion, leaving the fixing ring (16) at an extremity of the device for suturing purposes. The fixing ring (16) is preferably made from a relatively stiff material such as a compressed foam or rubber like material, which provides a relatively solid component for a surgeon to hold during suturing and which can provide a strong support for sutures.

Abstract: A stent or stent-graft deployment device and in particular a pusher member for such a device are disclosed. The pusher member (62) is provided with a reduced outer diameter section (64) and a pusher head (60). The reduced outer diameter section (64) reduces the thickness of the wall of the pusher member (62), with the result that the rigidity of the pusher member (62) is reduced at its distal end. This reduction in rigidity reduces the transition in flexibility between a guidewire catheter (24) extending through and beyond an inner channel of the pusher member (62) and the distal end of the pusher member (62). Thus, there is a gradual change in rigidities at the junction between these two components, which can reduce the possibility of kinking.

Abstract: A deployment device for deploying stents, stent-grafts and other implants into a patient includes a catheter (112) with a containment sheath (116). Held onto the catheter (112) is a stent-graft structure (120). The containment sheath (116) extends over the entirety of the stent graft section (122) so as to constrain it in its entirety on the catheter (112), until the sheath (116) is removed. The containment sheath (116) extends from the distal position (126) of the stent graft section (122) to the tip (114) and then into the central lumen (128) of the catheter (112). It may extend throughout the lumen (128) to the proximal end of the deployment device (10), in other words to the external manipulation section of the delivery device (10). The sheath (116) is withdrawn by pulling towards the external manipulation section of the delivery device. As this is effected, the containment sheath (116) is pulled over the end (114) of the catheter and into the central lumen (128) of the catheter (112).

Abstract: An endoluminal stent graft deployment system incorporating an anchor wire system for temporary anchoring of a stent graft on a delivery device. The anchor wire system has an anchor wire extending from the distal end of the device and releasably retained to the portion of the stent graft by a releasable retention system. The releasable retention system includes a bead on the proximal end of the anchor wire and an anchor release wire which has fastening arrangement to retain the release wire distally of the bead. The anchor release wire extends to a distal end of the deployment system so that the anchor wire release wire can be withdrawn thereby releasing the anchor wire.

Abstract: A fenestration (32) for a stent graft (30). The fenestration is an aperture in the biocompatible graft material and has at least one flap (38, 40) of a biocompatible graft material covering the aperture on the inside whereby the flap closes off the aperture but can be displaced to allow access through the fenestration. An array of such fenestrations may be placed on a stent graft to facilitate alignment of a branch vessel with a fenestration. A slip knot (46, 46) which can be released by forcing a dilator between the flaps can be used to hold the flaps together.

Abstract: A retention system for retaining a stent graft (13) onto a deployment device (1) in which the stent graft has an exposed stent (11) at at least one end. The deployment device has a capsule (7) to receive the exposed stent during deployment and an arrangement to move the capsule to release the exposed stent when required. A release wire (17) associated with the deployment device engages a portion (19) of the exposed stent within the capsule to retain the exposed stent in the capsule. At least one retention loop (25) on the stent graft is connected around the release wire to prevent removal of the capsule from the exposed stent until the release wire has been removed from its engagement with the exposed stent within the capsule and the retention loop is released.