Abstract: Devices for removing clot material from a blood vessel lumen and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. A clot retrieving device may include, for example, an elongated shaft, a capture structure having a proximal portion and a distal portion, and a cover having a first portion coupled to the elongated shaft and a second portion extending from the first portion. The cover may have an inverted configuration in which the capture structure is at least partially ensheathed within the first portion of the cover and the second portion of the cover extends distally from the first portion. In the inverted configuration, the second portion may have (a) a first region distal to a distal terminus of the capture structure, the first region tapering radially inwardly in a distal direction, and (b) a second region extending distally and radially outwardly from the first region.

Abstract: Transcatheter device for the treatment of calcified native heart valve leaflets comprising an outer hollow shaft (5), an inner hollow shaft (4) slidingly contained within said outer shaft (5) and an axle body (6) slidingly contained within said inner shaft (4); wherein the device comprises a commissure debridement system (7), located at the distal end of the axle body (6), that is made of at least two radially expandable arms (7) that are adapted to be inserted in and aligned with native commissures.

Abstract: A method comprises advancing an elongate tube to a target implantation site, the elongate tube having a needle disposed at least partially therein that has a coiled sutureform wrapped around at least a portion thereof, contacting a distal end of the elongate tube to a target tissue, projecting a tip of the needle from the distal end of the elongate tube to pierce through the target tissue such that the tip of the needle and at least a portion of the coiled sutureform project through the target tissue, advancing a pusher device within the elongate tube and over the needle to push the at least a portion of the coiled sutureform off of the tip of the needle, and proximally pulling one or more suture tails associated with the coiled sutureform to form the coiled sutureform into a knot on a distal side of the target tissue.

Abstract: Provided herein are dual-lumen catheters, systems, and methods thereof. In some embodiments, for example, a catheter assembly configured for modifying intravascular lesions is provided including a core wire, a dual-lumen extrusion including the core wire, and a manifold disposed around a portion of the dual-lumen extrusion. The core wire includes a proximal end configured to vibrationally couple to an ultrasound transducer. The dual-lumen extrusion includes a first lumen and a second lumen. The core wire is disposed within the first lumen, and the second lumen is configured to accommodate a guidewire. The manifold is disposed around at least a skived proximal-end portion of the dual-lumen extrusion, wherein the skived portion includes the second lumen without the first lumen. In some embodiments, the catheter assembly further includes the ultrasound transducer. In some embodiments, a system console includes the ultrasound transducer.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are provided for securing soft tissue to bone. One exemplary embodiment of a device includes an anchor, a repair filament, and a connecting filament that is coupled to the repair filament, is in contact with the anchor's distal end, and is effective to connect the repair filament to the anchor such that the repair filament slides with respect to the anchor. The anchor can be rigid, and can include an axial bore extending therethrough. At least one of the repair filament and the connecting filament can extend through at least a portion of the axial bore, and the bore can be sized such that a portion of the filament extending therethrough barely fits to help maintain the connection between the anchor, repair filament, and connecting filament. Embodiments of the systems and devices disclosed can be used in a number of methods for repairing soft tissue.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for treating a diseased native valve in a patient, the system comprising a compressible and expandable frame structure and an anchor. The anchor comprises a wire having a free end and is configured to be fully advanced from an atrial side of a native valve in a patient into a ventricle of the heart and anchor the frame structure to the native valve when the frame structure is in the expanded configuration adjacent the native valve.

Abstract: A magnetic suture has a ferrule with a tapered region in which a knotted suture is provided and secured with an adhesive, and a straight region in which a magnet is provided. The magnetic suture can be manufactured and assembled by knotting a suture, threading it through the tapered portion, and applying adhesive. The structure and method provide a magnetic suture provide increased manufacturing tolerances and decreased failure rates, thereby reducing waste of components and time while increasing the manufacturing/assembly speed and reliability of magnetic suture assembly.

Abstract: Devices and methods for treating a target site in a body lumen are provided. A medical device includes a stent-like structure including a plurality of scoring and non-scoring filaments interwoven with one another. Generally, the stent-like structure will have more non-scoring filaments than scoring filaments to provide greater structural support and to focus the scoring forces on only a few select areas. The stent-like structure is expanded within the target site to score the target site and to provide temporary structural support while the target site is infused with a therapeutic agent. Such therapeutic agent infusion occurs with the use of a drug eluting or drug coated balloon disposed within the stent-like structure or by occluding the target site and introducing a drug into the occluded target site to sit for a period of time.

Abstract: A system and associated method for manipulating tissues and anatomical or other structures in medical applications for the purpose of treating diseases or disorders or other purposes. In one aspect, the system includes an expandable structure for enhancing engagement with median lobe prostate tissue.

Abstract: A retrieval device may have a contracted state and an expanded state. The retrieval device may include a sheath and at least three support members. Each of the support members may have a first portion with a first cross-sectional shape and a second portion with a second cross-sectional shape different from the first cross-sectional shape. A proximal end fixed of each of the support members may be coupled to the sheath, and a distal end may be movable relative to the sheath. The retrieval device may further include at least three movable members movable relative to the support members. Each movable member may extend through a lumen of one support member of the at least three support members and through a lumen of a different support member of the at least three support members.

Abstract: A vascular filter system and method are disclosed. In one embodiment, the filter system comprises a dispensing needle, a guidewire and a catheter releasably attached to a filter dispenser which stores a length of filter wire. The filter wire dispenser has a guide tube which guides the filter wire into the catheter and then into a vein during surgical implantation. The filter wire is configured to form into a predetermined shape as it is deployed from the needle. The shape of the filter wire captures blood clots in the blood stream. The filter wire may be configured with a perforated section and a non-perforated section. Perforations are in fluid communication with an inner hollow lumen in the filter wire.

Abstract: An embolic coil with a secondary, delivered shape utilizing regions of varying stiffness is described. In some embodiments, these regions of varying stiffness are created by utilizing a larger primary wind loop diameter to create selective regions with lower stiffness and higher flexibility. In some embodiments, these regions of higher flexibility correspond to inflection regions on a complex coil shape to ease deliverability of the coil during therapeutic procedures.

Abstract: An apparatus for rolling a bladder includes a support structure, a rolling pin, and a bladder-mounting pin. The apparatus optionally includes a rolling initiator Rolling a bladder includes inserting the bladder while unrolled into an apparatus for rolling a bladder, inserting the bladder between a rolling pin and a bladder-mounting pin of the rolling machine, and rotating the rolling pin to (a) advance a portion of the bladder between the rolling pin and the bladder-mounting pin, (b) roll the portion of the bladder around the bladder-mounting pin, and (c) drive the bladder-mounting pin to rotate in an opposite direction from that of the rolling pin.

Abstract: A delivery system includes a handle, a guidewire catheter, a nose cone at the distal end of the guidewire catheter that with the guidewire catheter defines an opening concentric with the guidewire catheter, a plurality of wires that extend distally from the handle and essentially parallel with and distributed radially about the guidewire catheter and a stent graft. The wires each extend between a portion of the stents and wall of the stent graft, whereby the stent graft is radially constrained until the wires are retracted. The delivery system can be employed in methods of treating arterial disease, such as aortic aneurysms.

Abstract: A loading device for loading a medical device into a catheter is provided. The loading device comprises a body having a lumen to receive an expandable portion of a medical device. The lumen has a length as the expandable portion when the latter is in a collapsed configuration and has a diameter that is greater than the collapsed configuration. The body comprises a first portion and a second portion that are reversibly separable to expose the lumen in an open configuration and enclose the lumen in a closed configuration. The first and second portions each comprise an inner face having a groove defining a first portion of the lumen and a second portion of the lumen, respectively. The body also has a distal tip portion to reversibly couple with a hemostatic valve of a delivery catheter. A method of loading a medical device into a catheter is also provided.

Abstract: Retrieval of material from vessel lumens can be improved by use of a distal element comprising an expandable mesh, a treatment device includes an elongated member having a proximal portion and a distal portion configured to be positioned within a blood vessel at a treatment site at or near a thrombus. A distal element comprising an expandable mesh is coupled to the distal portion of the elongated member via a connection assembly. In an expanded state, at least a portion of the mesh is configured to be in apposition with the blood vessel wall at the treatment site to anchor or stabilize the elongated member with respect to the blood vessel. The distal element can be electrically coupled to an extracorporeal current generator.

Abstract: Devices described herein include a stentriever for removing an occlusive clot. The stentriever can include a membrane cover on the proximal end which can be sized to form a seal with the tip of an intermediate catheter. Clot engagement sections and/or a distal engagement section of the stentriever can also include a full or partial membrane covering to control the direction of aspiration and/or areas where the aspiration applies suction to the thrombus or clot. The membranes can be used to direct the aspiration so as to pull the clot deeper into the clot engagement sections of the stentriever, thereby improving grip on the clot. The design can also increase the effectiveness of clot fragment protection for friable clots by providing pores and/or clot cells in a distal engagement section.

Abstract: An endoscope treatment tool includes: a sheath; an operating wire in the sheath; a gripping portion provided at a distal end of the operating wire and having one or more wires; a tip attached to a distal end of the sheath; and a resin member disposed at a position adjacent to the tip on a radially inner or outer side thereof, wherein the tip includes clearance grooves extending toward a proximal end of the tip from a distal end of the tip, passing therethrough from an inner circumferential surface of the tip to an outer circumferential surface of the tip, and having sizes enabling the wires to pass therethrough, and at least proximal-end sides of the grooves overlap with the member in a radial direction of the tip and a distal end of the member is disposed farther on a distal-end side than proximal ends of the grooves are.

Abstract: A medical device delivery system can be used to advance a medical device to a target area within a patient's vasculature. The system can comprise a catheter, a support sheath, and a core member coupled to a medical device. The core member can be used to longitudinally advanced or retracting medical device within a lumen of the support sheath. The support sheath can be advanced within the catheter until a distal end of the support sheath contacts or abuts a reduced diameter section of the catheter lumen. Thereafter, the core member can be advanced into the catheter lumen toward the target area.

Abstract: A basket actuator includes a base including a base body and a base guide installed in the base body, a slider including a slider body configured to slide along the base guide, and a first slider arm and a second slider arm formed to protrude from the slider body and facing each other, a roller including a roller body rotatably disposed between the first slider arm and the second slider arm and a plurality of roller blades formed to protrude outwardly from the roller body, a wire guide connected to a front end portion of the base body, a wire disposed inside the wire guide and having a first end fixed to the roller, and a basket connected to a second end of the wire. The second slider arm is located rearward in comparison to the first slider arm.