Abstract: Stent designs for use in vessels, such as the carotid and coronary arteries, are disclosed. The stents consist of a plurality of radially expandable cylindrical elements generally aligned on a common longitudinal stent axis and interconnected by one or more interconnecting members placed so that the stent is flexible in a longitudinal direction. The cylindrical elements form a generally serpentine wave pattern transverse to the longitudinal axis between alternating valley portions and peak portions. The interconnecting members are attached to the double-curved portions to connect a cylindrical element to an adjacent cylindrical element and interconnecting members are attached to the inverted double-curved portions to connect the cylindrical element to the other adjacent cylindrical element. The stent designs include both a six crown and an eight crown stent which exhibit flexibility and sufficient radial strength to support the vessel.

Abstract: An embolic protection device for use in a blood vessel when an interventional procedure is being performed in a stenosed or occluded region to capture any embolic material which may be created and released into the bloodstream during the procedure. The device includes a filtering assembly having a self-expanding strut assembly and a filter element attached thereto. In one embodiment, the filtering assembly is attached to the distal end of a guide wire and is deployed within the patient's vasculature as the guide wire is manipulated into the area of treatment. A restraining sheath placed over the filtering assembly in a coaxial arrangement maintains the filtering assembly in its collapsed position until it is ready to be deployed by the physician. Thereafter, the sheath can be retracted to expose the filtering assembly which will then self-expand within the patient's vasculature.

Abstract: A system used in a blood vessel when an interventional procedure is being performed in a stenosed or occluded region, which is capable of capturing embolic material which may be released into a blood vessel during a therapeutic interventional procedure at the site of a lesion in the blood vessel. The system is adapted to be utilized in a collateral blood supply system adapted to enable the flow of blood to bypass the blood vessel upon blocking thereof and to enable the reverse flow of blood through the blood vessel upon unblocking thereof. The system includes a guide wire, including a distal end, adapted to be positioned in a blood vessel relative to an interventional procedure site. A guide catheter, including a distal end, is adapted to enable the interventional procedure to be performed, and to be inserted over the guide wire and through a patient's vasculature to a position in the blood vessel relative to the interventional procedure site.

Abstract: An embolic protection device for use in a blood vessel when an interventional procedure is being performed in a stenosed or occluded region to capture any embolic material which may be created and released into the bloodstream during the procedure. The device includes a filtering assembly having a self-expanding strut assembly and a filter element attached thereto. In one embodiment, the filtering assembly is attached to the distal end of a guide wire and is deployed within the patient's vasculature as the guide wire is manipulated into the area of treatment. A restraining sheath placed over the filtering assembly in a coaxial arrangement maintains the filtering assembly in its collapsed position until it is ready to be deployed by the physician. Thereafter, the sheath can be retracted to expose the filtering assembly which will then self-expand within the patient's vasculature.

Abstract: An expandable intraluminal stent having a strut pattern made from a plurality of triangular cells is disclosed. Each triangular cell is formed from at least two V struts of different magnitudes aligned in phase and joined at opposite ends forming two opposed vertices of the triangle. A series of triangular cells are joined at the vertices to form a ring. The series of triangular cells may be arranged to form peaks in the ring, peaks and valleys in the ring, or a combination thereof. A plurality of the rings are aligned coaxially and joined by connecting elements to form a tubular shape. Use of the double V strut formation in the rings increases vessel wall coverage, reduces gap sizes, and does not impair the compressability of the stent for a small profile for delivery.

Abstract: A deployment control system provides controlled deployment of an embolic protection device which may include a guide wire, an expandable filter attached to the guide wire near its distal end, and a restraining sheath that maintains the expanded filter in a collapsed position. The deployment control system includes a torque control device which allows the physician to torque the guide wire into the patient's anatomy and a mechanism for preventing the guide wire from buckling as the restraining sheath is being retracted to deploy the expandable filter. A recovery control system for recovering the embolic protection device includes an inner catheter which extends within a lumen of an outer recovery sheath in a coaxial arrangement. A distal portion of the inner catheter extends beyond another recovery sheath during advancement of the recovery system into the vasculature. The recovery sheath can be advanced over the inner catheter to collapse the expandable filter.

Abstract: A flush tool provides a method of evacuating air from an intraluminal catheter. The tool has two valves which independently seal the tool to the catheter. In order to receive pressurized fluids the tool includes a flush port. When the tool is placed over the auxiliary lumen port of a rapid exchange catheter, it is capable of flushing air from the auxiliary lumen.