Abstract: Drug eluting stents, methods of making, using, and verifying long-term stability of the drug eluting stents, and methods for predicting long term stent efficacy and patient safety after implantation of a drug eluting stent are disclosured. In one embodiment, a drug eluting stent may include a stent framework; a drug-containing layer; a drug embedded in the drug-containing layer; and a biocompatible base layer disposed over the stent framework and supporting the drug-containing layer. The drug-containing layer may have an uneven coating thickness. In addition or in alternative, the drug-containing layer may be configured to significantly dissolve/dissipate/disappear between 45 days and 60 days after stent implantation. Stents may reduce, minimize, or eliminate patient risks associated with the implantation of a stent, including, for example, restenosis, thrombosis, and/or MACE.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are various embodiments of suture adjustment mechanisms for anchors configured to be inserted into a heart wall of a patient to anchor a suture as an artificial chordae under an appropriate tension for proper valve function. Suture adjustment mechanisms can be configured to retain suture ends extending from the leaflet to the anchor with sufficient force to prevent natural movement of the leaflet from adjusting a length of the suture between the anchor and the leaflet. Free ends of the suture can extend from the anchor external to the body as tensioning strands. A surgeon can supply sufficient force on the tensioning strands from external the body to adjust a length and tension of the suture between the anchor and the leaflet.

Abstract: An implant and method for repairing and/or replacing functionality of a native mitral valve are in various embodiments configured to reduce or eliminate mitral regurgitation and residual mitral valve leakage. A coiled anchor can be used to implant a prosthetic valve in a native mitral valve of a heart. The coiled anchor can include a plurality of ventricular turns and one or more atrial turns. The coiled anchor is configured to be implanted at the native mitral valve with the plurality of ventricular turns positioned in a left ventricle of the heart and around valve leaflets of the native mitral valve. The plurality of ventricular turns are configured such that when a radially outward pressure is applied to at least one of the plurality of ventricular turns, the coiled anchor is biased such that a first diameter of a first turn of the plurality of ventricular turns is expanded and a second diameter of a second turn of the plurality of ventricular turns is reduced.

Abstract: A vascular repair patch with a polymeric substrate having first and second major surfaces, and at least first and second polymer filament layers, wherein the polymer filaments of the first polymer filament layer are oriented in parallel and the polymer filaments of the second polymer filament layer are oriented randomly. The patch may further include thrombogenic agents and/or extracellular matrix compounds to promote vascular tissue regeneration at the repair site. Further, included are methods of making and using the patch.

Abstract: A device implantable in a human body comprising a first component, or main support component, delimiting a plurality of openings, and a second component disposed on a surface of the main support component.

Abstract: Provided are a stent that has guaranteed high bonding strength between a strut and an opaque member and has high reliability to prevent the opaque member from coming off in a luminal structure; and a method for inspecting such a stent. A stent according to the invention includes: a leg portion provided with protrusions; and an opaque member that is provided along the longitudinal direction of the protrusions to cover the protrusions, the opaque member being highly opaque to radiation, the opaque member having: sparse areas with a spacing ratio higher than a predetermined spacing ratio; and a dense area with a spacing ratio lower than the predetermined spacing ratio, the opaque member being fixed on or to the protrusions with adhesives in the sparse areas.

Abstract: A knitted stent extending along a central longitudinal axis may comprise a filament forming a plurality of cells arranged in a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows. The plurality of rows may extend parallel to the central longitudinal axis. The plurality of columns may extend circumferentially around the central longitudinal axis. The plurality of rows may include a plurality of loop rows and a plurality of rung rows interposed between adjacent loop rows. Each cell within the plurality of loop rows may include a circumferential loop element connected to two longitudinally oriented connector elements. The plurality of rung rows may include a plurality of circumferential rung elements connected to adjacent loop rows. A majority of the plurality of loop rows may include open cells having an open end. At least one of the plurality of loop rows may include a plurality of closed cells having a closed end.

Abstract: A vascular repair device assembly includes a main prostheses, first internal prostheses, an optional second internal prostheses, and at least two sub-prostheses. Methods for delivering vascular repair devices include delivering a vascular repair device through a blood vessel to the aneurysm site, aligning a proximal open end of a main prosthesis cranially to the site of the aneurysm patient and directing a distal end of at least one additional one vascular repair device through a proximal end of at least a first internal lumen, and aligning the proximal end of the additional vascular repair device into a distal end of the at least one sub-prosthesis.

Abstract: A flow diverter device is used to redirect the blood flow inside the cerebral blood vessels and for the reduction of blood flow to the aneurysm, hence preventing the chance of aneurysm rupture as well as promoting the healing of the aneurysm. The novel design of the device, using a set of thicker wires, provides high kink resistance and radial strength. Two patterns of inter-braiding the thicker set of wires with the finer braid are disclosed, one having a checker-board and the other a ring structure. Both patterns are highly kink resistant with the checker-board design providing minimal loss in flexibility, whereas the ring design provides greater radial strength. The device could be made of super elastic materials like Nitinol wires with the thicker set being radio opaque. The device is highly kink resistant and sufficiently flexible for use in vasculature with complex bends.

Abstract: Various aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward apparatuses, systems, and methods that include a plurality of absorbable filaments arranged in a support structure and configured degrade within a defined time period and a membrane arranged about the plurality of absorbable filaments and configured to contain fragments of the plurality of absorbable filaments in response to a fracture or degradation of a filament.

Abstract: A method for use with a heart of a subject includes advancing a tool distally along a flexible elongate contracting member, toward an anchor implanted at the heart. Tension is applied to the contracting member such that the contracting member slides proximally through a fastener disposed at the heart while a stop coupled to the fastener maintains the fastener in an open state. Using the tool, the stop is pulled proximally (i) away from the fastener, such that the fastener responsively clamps to the contracting member, thereby locking the tension in the contracting member, and (ii) against a cutting element of the tool such that the cutting element moves in a manner that severs the contracting member. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: A prosthetic heart valve includes a support structure and a valve assembly disposed within the support structure, the valve assembly including a plurality of leaflets. Each leaflet is formed from a predetermined leaflet material. Some leaflet materials include a metal body with a plurality of openings. The metal body may be coated with a polymer. Other leaflet materials include natural mammalian tissue subjected to a plastination preservation process.

Abstract: A medical device for treating hip joint osteoarthritis by providing a joint surface is provided. The medical device comprises at least two artificial hip joint surface parts, wherein said at least two artificial hip joint surface parts are adapted to be connected to each other to form an artificial hip joint surface during an operation. Furthermore a method of treating a hip joint of a human patient by providing said the medical device is provided. The hip joint comprising a caput femur and an acetabulum, the method comprises the steps of: cutting the skin of said human patient, dissecting an area of the pelvic bone on the opposite side from said acetabulum, creating a hole in said dissected area, said hole passing through said pelvic bone and into said hip joint of said human patient, and providing said medical device to said hip joint, through said hole in said pelvic bone of said human patient.

Abstract: A stent includes a first tubular unit that has a cylindrical tubular shape and a mesh circumferential surface; and a second tubular unit that has a cylindrical tubular shape and a mesh circumferential surface, and is connected to the first tubular unit in a longitudinal axis direction of the stent. The first tubular unit has a first-first direction bent portion which is bent to be convex toward the first direction side that is one side of the longitudinal axis direction, the second tubular unit has a second-second direction bent portion which is bent to be convex toward the second direction side that is the other side of the longitudinal axis direction, and the first-first direction bent portion and the second-second direction bent portion form a first connecting portion that is connected so as to be relatively movable.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described including implanting an aortic pressure-loss-reduction device in a subject's ascending aorta. While the device is inside a catheter, a distal end of the catheter is placed within the ascending aorta. A proximal covering sheath of the catheter is retracted such as to uncover at least a portion of a downstream anchor, such that the uncovered portion of the downstream anchor includes a portion of the frame that does not have material coupled thereto. Subsequently, a distal covering sheath of the catheter is advanced, such as to cause an upstream anchor to anchor an upstream end device to the subject's ascending aorta, by the upstream anchor radially expanding against an inner wall of the ascending aorta. Other applications are also described.

Abstract: A shoulder arthroplasty kit includes a humeral head component, a combination sizer and guide device substantially identical to the humeral component but including a including a guide bore, and a guide pin configured to be inserted into the resected surface of the humerus and configured to be guided by the guide bore to a center of the resected surface of the humerus which is covered by the at least one combination sizer and guide device.

Abstract: A stent and method of making incorporating flexible, preferably polymeric, connecting elements into the stent wherein these elements connect element(s) across an intervening space. The polymeric connecting elements are designed to fold within the space between the outer diameter of the stent and the inner diameter of the stent.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention incudes a single cylinder zigzag strut Z stent cylinder fixedly joined to a braided stent such that a portion of the joined Z stent cylinder extends beyond the termination end of the braided wire stent. The Z stent cylinder can have a larger in diameter than the braided stent when expanded.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to prosthetic valves having a frame, a frame cover, and a leaflet construct. Some aspects are directed to a diametric taper for the prosthetic valve for achieving enhanced performance of the prosthetic valve under operational conditions, enhanced compressibility and delivery characteristics, and other additional or alternative advantages. Other aspects are directed toward unique assembly and attachment methods for securing leaflet constructs to support structures. Other aspects are directed toward features for interacting with transcatheter delivery systems. Still other aspects are directed to such apparatuses, systems, and methods for valve replacement, such as cardiac valve replacement.

Abstract: The techniques of this disclosure generally relate to a modular stent device that is deployed into the ascending aorta via femoral access. The modular stent device is a base or anchor component to which additional modular stent devices can be attached to exclude diseased areas of the aorta while at the same time allowing perfusion of the brachiocephalic artery, the left common carotid artery, and/or the left subclavian artery.