Abstract: A delivery system for use with a prosthetic heart valve having a stent frame to which a valve structure is attached, includes a shaft assembly including a distal end and a coupling structure disposed near the distal end and configured to be coupled to a distal end of the prosthetic heart valve. The system includes a sheath assembly defining a lumen sized to slidably receive the shaft assembly. The delivery system is configured to transition from a loaded state in which the sheath assembly encompasses the prosthetic heart valve to a deployed state in which the sheath assembly is withdrawn from the prosthetic heart valve. The coupling structure is configured to provide a controlled expansion or contraction of the distal end of the prosthetic heart valve based on longitudinal movement of the distal end of the shaft assembly.

Abstract: Systems and methods of delivering and retaining a leadless medical implant to tissue, wherein a docking base and the implant are sequentially delivered to an implantation site. In a first stage, the docking base is delivered and deployed into tissue at an implantation site. In a second stage, the implant is navigated through the vasculature and coupled to the docking base. Various mechanisms for navigating the implant to the previously implanted docking base and coupling the implant thereto are described. Navigational mechanisms include advancing the implant over a proximally extending wire portion that is releasably attached to the previously implanted docking base, utilizing fluoroscopic visualization to guide the implant to a previously implanted docking base that is at least partially radiopaque and utilizing electromagnetism to guide the implant to a previously implanted docking base that is electro-magnetizable.

Abstract: Systems and methods of delivering and retaining a leadless medical implant to tissue, wherein a docking base and the implant are sequentially delivered to an implantation site. In a first stage, the docking base is delivered and deployed into tissue at an implantation site. In a second stage, the implant is navigated through the vasculature and coupled to the docking base. Various mechanisms for navigating the implant to the previously implanted docking base and coupling the implant thereto are described. Navigational mechanisms include advancing the implant over a proximally extending wire portion that is releasably attached to the previously implanted docking base, utilizing fluoroscopic visualization to guide the implant to a previously implanted docking base that is at least partially radiopaque and utilizing electromagnetism to guide the implant to a previously implanted docking base that is electro-magnetizable.

Abstract: A stented valve including a stent structure having a generally tubular body portion, an interior area, a longitudinal axis, an first end, an second end, and an outer surface; at least one outflow barb extending from the outer surface of the stent adjacent to the first end of the stent structure and toward the second end of the stent structure; at least one inflow barb extending from the outer surface of the stent adjacent to the second end of the stent structure and toward the first end of the stent structure; and a valve structure attached within the interior area of the stent structure.

Abstract: A generally tubular, cylindrical stent prosthesis has an unexpanded delivery configuration and an expanded configuration for contacting the vessel wall. The stent prosthesis has a plurality of adjacent stent struts, each stent strut having a wavelike or sinusoidal pattern of straight segments and crowns. A Y-shaped member is attached to one or more crowns to cause the crowns to flare outwardly at an angle from the cylindrical stent body when the stent is expanded. Upon expansion of the stent, the crown(s) having Y-shaped members attached thereto are angled with respect to the longitudinal axis and radially flare from the cylindrical stent body. The flared crowns anchor the stent within the vessel by protruding into the vessel wall and/or seating the stent within an ostium.

Abstract: A catheter includes a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion including an arcuate portion. The catheter further includes a rotating portion, the rotating portion connecting the proximal portion and distal portion, the rotating portion including a first piece and a second piece, wherein the first piece and second piece create a snap fit. Methods of using the catheter include threading the inserted catheter through the vasculature and allowing the distal portion to freely rotate about an axis defined by the rotating portion responsive to any tortuosity in the vasculature.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a stent includes forming a wave form having a plurality of struts and a plurality of crowns. Each crown connects two adjacent struts. The wave form has a central portion and two end portions located on opposite sides the central portion. Some of the struts located in the end portions have lengths longer and/or shorter than an average length of all of the struts of the wave form. The method includes wrapping the wave form about a longitudinal axis to define a plurality of turns so that an end turn is oriented at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis, a second turn is at a first pitch angle that is less than the angle that the end turn is disposed relative to the longitudinal axis, a third turn is at a second pitch angle that is less than the first pitch angle, and a fourth turn is at a third pitch angle that is less than the second pitch angle.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamic programming and dynamic reading of a select non-volatile memory cell in a virtual grounds array is disclosed. In the dynamic read operation the global bit lines and the associated local bit lines are connected to a precharged voltage. One of the first or second global bit lines is connected to a low voltage such as ground, wherein the one global bit line connected to ground also connects to the local bit line for sensing the select non-volatile memory cell. The state of the select non-volatile memory cell is detected by detecting the sense amplifier connected to the global bit line, other than the one global bit line. In a dynamic programming operation, the first and second global bit lines and their associated local bit lines are precharged to a first voltage. One of the first or second global bit line and its associated local bit lines is connected to a second voltage.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a wave form for a stent from a wire includes a first forming member configured to move substantially parallel to a first axis and to move substantially parallel to a second axis that is orthogonal to the first axis, and a second forming member configured to move substantially parallel to the first axis and to move substantially parallel to the second axis. The second forming member is positioned opposite from the first forming member relative to the second axis along which the wire is configured to travel. The apparatus includes a controller configured to control movement of the first forming member relative to the wire and to control movement of the second forming member relative to the wire so that the first forming member and the second forming member deform the wire in opposite directions to form a portion of the wave form.

Abstract: A system for treating a vascular condition includes a catheter having an inner member and an outer member, the outer member concentrically arranged about the inner member and a retractable drug delivery device disposed at a distal end of the inner member. A coating disposed on at least a portion of an outer surface of the retractable drug delivery device includes at least one therapeutic agent.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamic programming and dynamic reading of a select non-volatile memory cell in a virtual grounds array is disclosed. The array of non-volatile memory cells are arranged in a plurality of rows and columns, wherein each cell in the same column share a first local bit line to one side and share a second local bit line to another side. Alternating local bit lines are connected to a first global bit line and other alternating local bit lines are connected to a second global bit line with the global bit lines connected to a sense amplifier. In the dynamic read operation the global bit lines and the associated local bit lines are connected to a precharged voltage. One of the first or second global bit lines is connected to a low voltage such as ground, wherein the one global bit line connected to ground also connects to the local bit line for sensing the select non-volatile memory cell.

Abstract: A delivery system for delivering a stented prosthetic heart valve to a lumen of a patient, the delivery system including a tubular body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a base portion with a plurality of extending elements, wherein each of the extending elements is engageable with a portion of a stent of a prosthetic heart valve. The delivery system further includes a sleeve having an inner area. The sheath is longitudinally moveable relative to the base portion from a first position where the inner area of the sleeve at least partially covers the extending elements of the base portion to a second position where the extending elements are not positioned within the inner area of the sleeve.

Abstract: A generally tubular, cylindrical stent prosthesis has an unexpanded delivery configuration and an expanded configuration for contacting the vessel wall. The stent prosthesis has a plurality of adjacent stent struts, each stent strut having a wavelike or sinusoidal pattern of straight segments and crowns. A Y-shaped member is attached to one or more crowns to cause the crowns to flare outwardly at an angle from the cylindrical stent body when the stent is expanded. Upon expansion of the stent, the crown(s) having Y-shaped members attached thereto are angled with respect to the longitudinal axis and radially flare from the cylindrical stent body. The flared crowns anchor the stent within the vessel by protruding into the vessel wall and/or seating the stent within an ostium.

Abstract: A stent includes a central portion having a first waveform. The first waveform is wrapped around a longitudinal axis of the stent at a pitch to define a plurality of helical turns. The stent also includes an end segment connected to one end of the central portion. The end segment has a second waveform that includes a plurality of struts and a plurality of crowns. Each of the plurality of struts has a different length so that peaks of the crowns that define an end of the stent lie within a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Cross-sectional areas of the struts having different lengths vary so that the struts move substantially uniformly during radial contraction and/or radial expansion of the stent.

Abstract: A stent includes a central portion having a first waveform. The first waveform is wrapped around a longitudinal axis of the stent at a pitch to define a plurality of helical turns. The stent also includes an end segment connected to one end of the central portion. The end segment has a second waveform that includes a plurality of struts and a plurality of crowns. Each of the plurality of struts has a different length so that peaks of the crowns that define an end of the stent lie within a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Cross-sectional areas of the struts having different lengths vary so that the struts move substantially uniformly during radial contraction and/or radial expansion of the stent.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having an array of flash memory cells and for each column of cells, a global read bit line, a global write bit line, and a plurality of local bit lines, wherein the column of cells is divided into a plurality of subcolumns and each local bit line is electrically coupled to each of the cells in a subcolumn associated with the local bit line. The local bit line is coupled and decoupled to the global read bit line by a local read select transistor and is coupled and decoupled to the global write bit line by a local write select transistor. By coupling one local bit line for a column to the global read bit line and coupling another local bit line to the global write bit line, one cell can be written while another cell is read from, even though the cell being read and the cell being written are in the same column. A variation uses the two global bit lines as read lines or read/write lines instead of a global read bit line and a global write bit line for each column.