Abstract: An implant for occluding a passage in a circulatory system is provided. The implant in one form includes a plurality of thin wire-like members each having a proximal and a distal end and a first holder to which the distal ends of the members are attached. The proximal ends of the members are attached to a second holder. The implant includes an expansible occluding body attached to the members at a point intermediate the first and second holders. A carrier rod is releasably attached to the first holder and upon which the second holder is slidably received. A driving implement is located on the carrier rod, the driving implement contacting the second holder and movable toward the first holder along the carrier rod.

Abstract: An ossicular prosthesis delivery system having an ossicular prosthesis including an enlarged head and a shaft axially, moveably mounted to the head to adjust shaft length. An elongate main body having an operating portion, including a cylindrical through bore, connected to an adjusting portion, including a generally semi-cylindrical upwardly opening channel coaxial with the bore. An end wall at a distal end of the adjusting portion includes a through passage coaxial with the channel and an upwardly opening cavity. An elongate cylindrical plunger has a claw at one end. The plunger is received in the bore with the claw in the channel and an opposite end extending outwardly of the operating portion. The ossicular prosthesis' shaft is positioned in the channel with the head received in the cavity and the plunger is rotatable in the bore to capture the shaft and is reciprocally moveable in the bore to adjust shaft length of the ossicular prosthesis.

Abstract: The present invention provides improved devices and methods for inhibiting restenosis and hyperplasia after intravascular intervention. In particular, the present invention provides luminal prostheses which allow for programmed and controlled substance delivery with increased efficacy to selected locations within a patient's vasculature to inhibit restenosis. The luminal delivery prosthesis comprises a scaffold which is implantable within a body lumen and means on the scaffold for releasing a substance from the scaffold. The substance is released over a predetermined time pattern comprising an initial phase wherein the substance delivery rate is below a threshold level and a subsequent phase wherein the substance delivery rate is above a threshold level.

Abstract: A tendon graft stripping device for use in removing the muscle attachments to a tendon while the tendon is being prepared for use as a graft during ligament and tendon reconstruction surgery is disclosed. The muscle stripping device is made from a metal or plastic block having multiple slots therein. The multiple slots, which are of various diameters and have a circular or rectangular shape, are inter-connected by much smaller grooves to allow the passage of a tendon to be stripped through the different diameter size slots.

Abstract: A biological stent-graft and a method of making the same wherein a stent is surgically implanted in the lumen of an artery of a mammal, harvesting the stent-graft precursor after the stent has been incorporated into artery wall, fixing the harvested stent-graft precursor, and washing the same to yield a biological stent-graft.

Abstract: An implantable expandable medical device in which selected regions of the device are in a martensite phase and selected regions are in an austenite phase. The martensitic regions exhibit pseudoplastic behavior in vivo and may be deformed without recovery under in vivo body conditions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to medicine and more particularly to neurosurgery, and can be used in the operative treatment of patients with parasagittal meningiomas. The present invention is directed to the provision of radical removal of a parasagittal meningioma, restoring and securing natural blood flow, obviating recurrent parasagittal meningioma. The object is accomplished by that semicircular incisions of the dura mater circumscribing the tumor contour are made toward the base of the upper sagittal sinus, the tumor is removed as a single block together with a segment of the upper sagittal sinus and a portion of the faix cerebri, whereafter the removed segment of the upper sagittal sinus is replaced with an implant prosthesis ensuring physiological blood flow. The prosthesis is a cynlindrical tubular member in which the end parts are provided with smooth, curvilinear, gently sloping bevels made on its internal generating surface or on both internal and external surfaces thereof.

Abstract: An intraocular implant for implantation into the interior of an eye is disclosed. The intraocular implant includes a body member, (the body member has an anterior surface and a posterior surface, and has optical properties,) and, at least one mirror, wherein the at least one mirror is contained within the body member.

Abstract: A method for forming an implantable medical device, such as a stent, is provided, in which electric discharges are applied to a metal surface of the implantable medical device. The electric discharges pit the surface. The pitted surface improves retention of a coating on the device and increases the amount of coating that can be carried by the device. An electric discharge machining process is described for applying electric discharges to the surface of the implantable medical device or portion thereof.

Abstract: An intraocular implant for implantation into the interior of an eye is disclosed. The intraocular implant includes a body member, the body member has an anterior surface and a posterior surface, and has optical properties, and, at least one mirror, wherein the at least one mirror is contained within the body member.

Abstract: An intravascular stent assembly for implantation in a body vessel, such as a coronary artery, includes undulating circumferential rings having peaks on the proximal end and valleys on the distal end. Adjacent rings are coupled together between peaks on one ring and valleys on the proximally adjacent ring. To increase flexibility of the stent, the links do not couple all of the peaks on a ring to the proximally adjacent ring.

Abstract: The invention is directed toward a bone block, a bone-tendon-bone assembly and method of tendon reconstruction in which at least one tendon replacement is extended between two bone blocks and fixed within each of two bone tunnels in the bones of a joint using interference screws. Each bone block has a central through going bore and at least one substantially parallel channel longitudinally cut in the exterior of the bone block body in which the ligament replacements are seated. One end of each bone block has a rounded recess leading from the central bore to the exterior parallel channel.

Abstract: A graft fixation system for fixing graft material in a bone tunnel includes an expandable fixation member having a graft receiving eyelet disposed proximate its distal end, opposed bone engaging elements disposed about its periphery, and an expansion plug receiving opening defined in its proximal end. The system also includes an expansion plug having a diameter greater than the diameter of the expansion plug receiving opening so that forceable insertion of the expansion plug into the expansion plug receiving opening causes an expansion of the expandable fixation member driving the opposed bone engaging elements apart so as to fix the bone engaging elements, as well as the graft material, in a bone tunnel.

Abstract: The object of this invention is to provide a metal stent used for insertion into a coronary artery to treat a patient suffering from angina pectoris or myocardial infarction due to a coronary artery disease. This stent consists of a plurality of primary stent units (1), each having a zigzag shape rounded at its bent portions and being expandable in a circumferential direction. The primary stent units (1) are assembled into a single cylindrical structure of the stent such that each two primary stent units (1) are integrated into one secondary stent unit by a first strut (2?) or (2?) connecting each projected bent portion of each of the two primary stent units (1) to an associated bent portion of the other. Each two secondary stent units are integrated into a desired stent by a plurality of hook-shaped second struts (3) connecting the projected bent portions of the two secondary stent units to each other.

Abstract: Prosthetic implants designed to be implanted in the cornea for modifying the cornea curvature and altering the corneal refractive power for correcting myopia, and myopia with astigmatism, such implants formed of a micro-porous hydrogel material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of preparing a tissue graft material. The invention also relates to a multipurpose tissue graft material and to methods of using same as a replacement for vascular and non-vascular tissue.

Abstract: An implantable stent and stent-graft for treating a patient having a relatively healthy first aorta portion upstream from a renal artery branch, and a diseased aorta portion downstream from the renal artery branch. One embodiment of the device includes a fixation section, a renal artery branch section and a diseased aorta section, all of which can be tubular, radially compressible and self-expandable structures formed from a plurality of filaments which are helically wound in a braided configuration. When the device is implanted and in its expanded state, the fixation section engages the first aorta portion upstream from a renal artery branch to provide substantial anchoring support. The diseased aorta section engages the portion of the aorta downstream from the renal artery branch and extends across the diseased portion of the aorta for purposes of treatment.

Abstract: An intraluminal grafting system having a delivery catheter comprising a flexible elongate tubular member having proximal and distal extremities and a capsule mounted on the distal extremity of the tubular member and including a graft disposed within the capsule. The graft is comprised of a tubular body configured to be secured to a blood vessel by a self expanding attachment system. The attachment system comprises a generally sinusoidal wire frame having apices which extend longitudinally outward from the end of the tubular body apices which are secured within the tubular body. Both the protruding apices and the base apices are formed with helices which bias the attachment system radially outward. The attachment system further includes a plurality of lumen piercing members that are oriented in a responsive relationship to the radially outward bias of the attachment system.

Abstract: A stent system is provided for percutaneous insertion in an artery of a main stent which includes at least one peripheral aperture defined through the stent wall. The stent system also includes a peripheral stent configured to be inserted into the peripheral aperture of the main stent. The peripheral stent extends, when inserted in the peripheral aperture, generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the main stent. The stent system may further include a guidewire, insertable through the peripheral aperture, for maneuvering the main stent into place in the artery. The guidewire may be tapered toward its distal end. The stent system may also include a dilation device for dilating the peripheral stent within the peripheral aperture. The stent system may further include a tube inserted through the peripheral aperture of the main stent.

Abstract: A radiopaque nitinol medical device such as a stent for use with or implantation in a body lumen is disclosed. The stent is made from a superelastic alloy such as nickel-titanium or nitinol, and includes a ternary element selected from the group of chemical elements consisting of iridium, platinum, gold, rhenium, tungsten, palladium, rhodium, tantalum, silver, ruthenium, or hafnium. The added ternary element improves the radiopacity of the nitinol stent comparable to that of a stainless steel stent of the same size and strut pattern coated with a thin layer of gold. The nitinol stent has improved radiopacity yet retains its superelastic and shape memory behavior and further maintains a thin strut/wall thickness for high flexibility.