Abstract: Among other things, there is disclosed devices for closing an internal opening, e.g. a hole in a blood vessel, that includes a shape memory function. Particular substances have been found to provide advantages in use, and in particular forms of closure structures.

Abstract: Heart valve prostheses are provided having a self-expanding frame that supports a valve body comprising a skirt and a plurality of coapting leaflets. The leaflets are constructed with four commissure points to reduce the stress and strain applied to the commissure points and to efficiently distribute and transmit forces along the leaflets and to the frame.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a balloon catheter. The invention comprises: a first shaft; an expandable balloon which is attached to the front end of the first shaft; an expandable lumen which is formed inside the first shaft and to which a liquid required for expanding the balloon is provided; a second shaft which extends from the front end of the first shaft to which the balloon is attached and has a wire hole through which a guide wire passes; and a guide wire lumen, which is formed inside the second shaft and through which the guide wire passes. According to the invention, the first and second shafts are coaxially connected and the expandable lumen and the guide wire lumen are respectively formed in each shaft in order to reduce the overall diameter of the shaft, thereby facilitating surgery and improving pushability.

Abstract: A rotating cutting head catheter for passage through chronic total occlusions or other refractory atherosclerotic plaque from diseased arteries is disclosed. The catheter's rotating cutting head is designed to reside safely within an outer protective sheath when not in use. The outer protective sheath contains one or more helical grooves or slots, and the cutting head contains protruding blades or projections that fit into these helical grooves or slots. Application of torque to an inner catheter or wire attached to the cutting head applies spin to the cutting head, and the force of the sheath's helical grooves or slots against the cutting head's protruding blades or projections advances the cutting head outward from the protective sheath. Once extended, the cutting head may now rotate freely. The device may use a guidewire to direct the cutting head to the desired position.

Abstract: A valve prosthesis and implantation device, and methods for use are provided. The devices may be used for transcatheter delivery of an aortic valve prosthesis or transapical delivery of a mitral valve prosthesis. The implantation device utilizes movable claspers for both positioning and anchoring the valve prosthesis, reducing the extent of imaging needed during the implantation procedure.

Abstract: System and method of photoaltering a region of an eye using a high resolution digital image of the eye. The system includes a laser assembly for outputting a pulsed laser beam, an imaging system for capturing a real-time high resolution digital image of the eye and displaying the digital image of the eye, a user interface receiving at least one laser parameter input, and a controller coupled to the laser assembly, imaging system, and user interface. The controller directs the laser assembly to output the pulsed laser beam to the region of the eye based on the laser parameter input.

Abstract: An endoscopic device for retrieving an object from within a human body is disclosed. The device includes a support assembly, a transmitting assembly, a wire, and a net element. The support assembly has a base and a tubular member. The transmitting assembly includes a handle and a motion transmitting link fixed to the handle and extending through at least a portion of the tubular member. The wire defines a loop portion and two leg portions. A proximal end of each leg portion is secured to the link by a first connection and the two leg portions are secured to each other by at least a second connection distal from the first connection. The net element has a distally protruding portion secured to the loop portion and a proximally protruding portion secured relative to the leg portions.

Abstract: Improved bone anchors are disclosed for anchoring one or more sutures attached to soft tissue to a bone. The bone anchor has an anchor body that extends between a distal end and a proximal end. A bore is formed axially in the anchor body and opens at the proximal end. One or more pins are fixed within the bore of the anchor body. One or more sutures can be looped on the pins for anchoring soft tissue to bone. The anchor body has a socket within the bore for receiving a driver tool. The distal end of the anchor body forms a non-threaded extension, which stabilizes the bone anchor, and helps prevent lateral movement during use. In one embodiment, the anchor body has coarse threads for engaging soft bone tissue and fine threads for engaging hard bone tissue.

Abstract: A luminal drilling system includes a drilling device and a control unit. The drilling device includes an elongate member having a drive shaft with a drill tip. The control unit includes a motor connectable to the drive shaft and control circuitry which rotationally oscillates the drive shaft with the direction of rotation automatically reversing whenever the load on the motor and/or drive shaft exceeds a threshold value.

Abstract: A medical knife includes a blade plate and a blade portion formed at the distal end of the blade plate. Cutting edges extend from the distal end to the proximal end of the blade portion. Two blade surfaces in the width direction of a back-face portion of the blade portion are formed to gradually increase a distance between opposite side and cutting edge from one of the distal end and the proximal end to the other. The two blade surfaces in the width direction of a front-face portion of the blade portion are formed such that the distance between the opposite side and the cutting edge becomes equal in a zone corresponding to a distal end of the cutting edge and a zone corresponding to a proximal end of the cutting edge, over the entire cutting edge from the distal end to the proximal end of the cutting edge.

Abstract: A method for detaching an object from a patient includes providing a tool having a sheath, and a separating assembly operably coupled to a distal end of the sheath. The separating assembly includes a separator moveably coupled to a tip via a threadable connection. The separating assembly is placed near patient tissue that is attached to the object, the sheath is rotated to move the separator distal to the tip, and the separator is applied to the patient tissue that is attached to the object, so as to separate the tissue. A separating system includes a sheath, and a separator threadably coupled with a distal end of the sheath. The separator is adapted to switch between a first configuration where a separating mechanism is deployed, and a second configuration where the separating mechanism is undeployed.

Abstract: A medical instrument, such as a surgical device for manipulating and placing a tissue suture and methods of using the same is disclosed. The device comprises a handle, a hollow shaft removably coupled to the handle assembly and a stylet extending within the hollow shaft and longitudinally slideable therein. Preferably, the stylet is not rotationally moveable relative to the shaft. The stylet may be moved between a first position wherein a grasping member formed on the stylet is retracted into a distal end portion of the shaft and a second position wherein the grasping member extends distally beyond the distal end portion of the shaft. Distal movement of an actuation member on the handle correspondingly moves the stylet to the extended position and movement of the actuation member to a proximal position on the handle correspondingly moves the stylet to the retracted position. Lateral movement of the actuation member on the handle does not impart rotational movement of the stylet relative to the shaft.

Abstract: A catheter for removing tissue from a body lumen and for providing information relating to the body lumen. The catheter includes a tissue cutting element that rotates relative to the catheter body and is mounted to the drive shaft for imparting rotation to the tissue cutting element. An energy emitting element of the catheter rotates relative to the catheter body and is rotatable independently of the tissue cutting element.

Abstract: Systems and methods for separating an object such as a pacing lead from a patient tissue involve a flexible and torqueable shaft having an internal lumen sized to receive the object, and a hard separating mechanism for separating the object from the tissue. Typically the shaft and separating mechanism are advanced along or toward the object, and the separating mechanism is contacted with the tissue. The shaft is rotated to effect separation between the object and the tissue. The systems and methods are well suited for use in cardiac pacing or defibrillator lead explant procedures.

Abstract: A medical manipulator includes a trigger lever operated by hands, a shaft that extends from a body in which the trigger lever is provided, and a tip operating unit that is provided at a tip of the shaft. The tip operating unit includes an end effector to which the operation of the trigger lever is mechanically transmitted and in which the operation is performed, and a detection mechanism that detects an operation state of the first input unit.

Abstract: The present invention, in one embodiment, includes a method of assembling a filamentary fixation device including obtaining a filamentary sleeve having a pathway therethrough, and a loading member and retriever member each positioned through at least a portion of the pathway, engaging a working suture with the retriever member, positioning at least a portion of the working suture in the pathway using the retriever member, and engaging the working suture with the loading member.

Abstract: A first endoluminal prosthesis coupled to an inner catheter and a dilator tip is delivered to the body vessel via a guidewire and a delivery sheath in a conventional manner. After deployment of the first endoluminal prosthesis at the target site, the dilator and catheter are retracted from the body, leaving the delivery sheath in place. A second endoluminal prosthesis is housed within a peel-away sheath without a catheter or dilator tip, and is mated to the delivery sheath outside the patient. The second prosthesis is advanced from the peel-away sheath into the delivery sheath without the use of a dilator tip or catheter. As the second prosthesis is advanced into the delivery sheath from the peel-away sheath, the peel-away sheath is peeled away. The second prosthesis is advanced through the delivery sheath and delivered into an overlapping engagement with the first prosthesis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and a method for capturing a guidewire being progressed along the lumen of a bodily duct and to direct it into a catheter. In one aspect a catheter-based eccentric cone capture structure is used to engage and direct a guidewire oppositely approaching the capture structure.

Abstract: The invention relates to a novel medical apparatus for treatment of obesity, diabetes, and/or other obesity-associated health problems. The apparatus is used to impede absorption of nutrients within the gastrointestinal tract, i.e., substantially isolating nutrients from a portion of the gastrointestinal tract. The apparatus can be implanted using minimally invasive techniques, such a transesophageal approach under visualization. More specifically, the apparatus is used to impede absorption of nutrients within the gastrointestinal tract, i.e., substantially isolating nutrients from a portion of the gastrointestinal tract. The apparatus may include a sleeve and at least one anchoring component attached to the sleeve with a releasable component. The sleeve may have different properties along its length or there may be multiple sleeves having different properties.

Abstract: An atherectomy catheter having an inner drive shaft which rotates a distal rotary tissue borer with a helical cutting surface which enables the catheter to cut through and cross a CTO. Additionally, the atherectomy catheter has a distal cutting element rotated by an outer drive shaft configured to cut material from the wall of a vessel at a treatment site as the catheter is pushed distally through the treatment site. The atherectomy catheter includes a collection chamber positioned proximally of the cutting element and rotary tissue borer. The atherectomy catheter directs material cut from the treatment site into the collection chamber, breaks down larger portions of material that may block or clog the collection chamber and transports the material collected from the treatment site to a proximal opening in the atherectomy catheter.