Abstract: A prosthetic heart valve having an inflow end and an outflow end includes a collapsible and expandable stent, a collapsible and expandable valve assembly disposed within the stent and having a plurality of leaflets, and a deformable frame having a first end and a second end. The frame includes braided wires forming a body having a lumen extending therethrough for receiving the stent and the valve assembly, the body having a plurality of diameters from the first end to the second end.

Abstract: The invention provides a device for filtering emboli from blood flowing through a lumen defined by the walls of a vessel in a patient's body, comprising a filter element and a self-expanding radial element associated with the filter element. The filter element is expandable from a collapsed configuration when the filter element is restrained to an expanded configuration when the filter element is unrestrained. The filter element comprises a self-expanding material having pores. The filter element has proximal and distal portions and a central portion, and has a shape in the expanded configuration which defines a cavity having a proximal facing opening. The self-expanding radial element is distal of the filter element, and the self-expanding radial element is adapted to maintain the filter element centered in the lumen.

Abstract: A distal protection device provided with a filter basket having a self-expanding radial loop designed to position the filter basket within human vasculature and to hold the filter basket open during deployment.

Abstract: A prosthetic heart valve having an inflow end and an outflow end includes a collapsible and expandable stent. A collapsible and expandable valve assembly is disposed within the stent and includes a plurality of leaflets. A collapsible and expandable frame formed of braided wires has a body portion and a lumen extending through the body portion for receiving the stent and the valve assembly. The frame may include features for holding the prosthetic heart valve in place in a patient.

Abstract: A stent/graft especially designed to be used in a minimally invasive surgical procedure for treating an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) comprises an innermost tubular structure of a length (L1) formed by braiding a relatively few strands of shape memory alloy wire. The pick and pitch of the braid are such as to provide relative large fenestrations in the tubular wall. A portion of the innermost tubular structure of a length L2<L1 is surrounded by a further braided tubular structure having relatively many strands that occlude the fenestrations of the innermost tubular structure. The composite structure can be stretched to reduce the outer diameter of the stent/graft, allowing it to be drawn into a lumen of a delivery catheter. The catheter can then be advanced through the vascular system to the site of the AAA and then ejected, allowing it to self-expand with the portion L2 bridging the aneurysm.

Abstract: A prosthetic heart valve includes a collapsible and expandable stent having a proximal end and a distal end, and a collapsible and expandable valve assembly, the valve assembly including a plurality of leaflets connected to at least one of the stent and a cuff. The heart valve further includes a conformable band disposed about the perimeter of the stent near the proximal end for filling gaps between the collapsible prosthetic heart valve and a native valve annulus.

Abstract: A device for occluding a septal defect is provided. In general, the occluding device has a contracted state that allows the occluding device to be received within a delivery device for deployment to the site of the defect and an expanded state that is achieved when the occluding device is deployed from the delivery device. The occluding device has a proximal portion, which may be substantially circular, a distal portion, which may be substantially ovaloid, and a connecting portion extending between the two. The distal portion may define first and second outer parts at opposite ends of the major axis, which may be bent or curved. The configuration of the proximal and distal portions allow the occluding device to securely engage the septal wall and be kept in position at the septal defect without causing substantial interference with the functioning of adjacent heart structures.

Abstract: A collapsible medical device and associated methods of occluding an abnormal opening in, for example, a body organ, wherein the medical device is shaped from plural layers of a heat-treatable metal fabric. Each of the fabric layers is formed from a plurality of metal strands and the assembly is heat-treated within a mold in order to substantially set a desired shape of the device. By incorporating plural layers in the thus-formed medical device, the ability of the device to rapidly occlude an abnormal opening in a body organ is significantly improved.

Abstract: A collapsible medical device and associated methods of occluding an abnormal opening in, for example, a body organ, wherein the medical device is shaped from plural layers of a heat-treatable metal fabric. Each of the fabric layers is formed from a plurality of metal strands and the assembly is heat-treated within a mold in order to substantially set a desired shape of the device. By incorporating plural layers in the thus-formed medical device, the ability of the device to rapidly occlude an abnormal opening in a body organ is significantly improved.

Abstract: A vascular device is provided that includes a tubular structure and an occluding structure. The tubular structure has inner and outer layers, with the occluding structure located between the inner and outer layers. Each of the inner and outer layers may define a different pick count, and the tubular structure may include a leading edge at a transition between the pick counts. The leading edge may be disposed at the distal end of the vascular device when the device is deployed from a delivery device. Furthermore, the occluding structure may have first and second layers formed by the inversion or eversion of the occluding structure and the subsequent coupling of its free ends to form a continuous structure. Thus, any loose ends may be sealed to minimize unraveling and/or shifting of the occluding structure within the tubular structure. A method of making the vascular device is also provided.

Abstract: A vascular device is provided that includes a tubular structure and an occluding structure. The tubular structure has inner and outer layers, with the occluding structure located between the inner and outer layers. Each of the inner and outer layers may define a different pick count, and the tubular structure may include a leading edge at a transition between the pick counts. The leading edge may be disposed at the distal end of the vascular device when the device is deployed from a delivery device. Furthermore, the occluding structure may have first and second layers formed by the inversion or eversion of the occluding structure and the subsequent coupling of its free ends to form a continuous structure. Thus, any loose ends may be sealed to minimize unraveling and/or shifting of the occluding structure within the tubular structure. A method of making the vascular device is also provided.

Abstract: A vascular device is provided that includes a tubular structure and an occluding structure. The tubular structure has inner and outer layers, with the occluding structure located between the inner and outer layers. Each of the inner and outer layers may define a different pick count, and the tubular structure may include a leading edge at a transition between the pick counts. The leading edge may be disposed at the distal end of the vascular device when the device is deployed from a delivery device. Furthermore, the occluding structure may have first and second layers formed by the inversion or eversion of the occluding structure and the subsequent coupling of its free ends to form a continuous structure. Thus, any loose ends may be sealed to minimize unraveling and/or shifting of the occluding structure within the tubular structure. A method of making the vascular device is also provided.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide devices and methods for treating abnormalities. For example, a device according to one embodiment includes a plurality of planes of occlusion, at least one plane of occlusion comprising a plurality of layers of occlusive material. The device is configured to at least partially occlude an abnormality.

Abstract: A device for occluding a septal defect is provided. In general, the occluding device has a contracted state that allows the occluding device to be received within a delivery device for deployment to the site of the defect and an expanded state that is achieved when the occluding device is deployed from the delivery device. The occluding device has a proximal portion, which may be substantially circular, a distal portion, which may be substantially ovaloid, and a connecting portion extending between the two. The distal portion may define first and second outer parts at opposite ends of the major axis, which may be bent or curved. The configuration of the proximal and distal portions allow the occluding device to securely engage the septal wall and be kept in position at the septal defect without causing substantial interference with the functioning of adjacent heart structures.

Abstract: An embolic protection device or system for use in a lumen of a vessel in a patient's vascular system. The device filters debris and blood clots in a body lumen and/or prevents them from moving distally from a treatment site in a vessel and causing emboli. The device may include a filter placed distally of the treatment site. The device may include an occlusive element placed either distally or proximally of the treatment site.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved vascular occlusion device having improved flexibility and retention of the type fabricated from braided tubular metal fabric having an expanded preset configuration and an elongated collapsed reduced diameter configuration for delivery through a catheter to a treatment site and shaped to create an occlusion of an abnormal opening in a body organ or vessel, the woven metal fabric having a memory property whereby the medical device tends to return to said expanded preset configuration when unconstrained. The device further including at least one disk portion adjacent a body cylindrical portion formed from the fabric and having a transition diameter between the disk and cylindrical portion, significantly smaller than the diameter of the disk and the diameter of the cylindrical portion.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide devices and methods for treating abnormalities. For example, a device according to one embodiment includes a plurality of planes of occlusion, at least one plane of occlusion comprising a plurality of layers of occlusive material. The device is configured to at least partially occlude an abnormality.

Abstract: A collapsible medical device and associated methods of occluding an abnormal opening in, for example, a body organ, wherein the medical device is shaped from plural layers of a heat-treatable metal fabric. Each of the fabric layers is formed from a plurality of metal strands and the assembly is heat-treated within a mold in order to substantially set a desired shape of the device. By incorporating plural layers in the thus-formed medical device, the ability of the device to rapidly occlude an abnormal opening in a body organ is significantly improved.

Abstract: The invention provides a device for filtering emboli from blood flowing through a lumen defined by the walls of a vessel in a patient's body comprising a filter element. The filter element is expandable from a collapsed configuration when the filter element is restrained to an expanded configuration when the filter element is unrestrained. When the filter element is in the expanded configuration, the average pore size is from 30 to 300 microns and the standard deviation of the pore size is less than 20 percent of the average pore size. The filter element has two or more filtering layers, each filtering layer having pores, each filtering layer being adjacent to at least one other filtering layer, and at least one of the filtering layers being made of a self-expanding material.

Abstract: A stent/graft especially designed to be used in a minimally invasive surgical procedure for treating an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) comprises an innermost tubular structure of a length (L1) formed by braiding a relatively few strands of shape memory alloy wire. The pick and pitch of the braid are such as to provide relative large fenestrations in the tubular wall. A portion of the innermost tubular structure of a length L2<L1 is surrounded by a further braided tubular structure having relatively many strands that occlude the fenestrations of the innermost tubular structure. The composite structure can be stretched to reduce the outer diameter of the stent/graft, allowing it to be drawn into a lumen of a delivery catheter. The catheter can then be advanced through the vascular system to the site of the AAA and then ejected, allowing it to self-expand with the portion L2 bridging the aneurysm.