Abstract: An access apparatus for use during a surgical procedure to provide access to the interior of the body includes an access member defining a longitudinal axis and having a proximal end for being disposed at an exterior side of the body and a distal end for extending into the interior of the body. The access member has a bore therethrough dimensioned to permit passage of an object. A seal is disposed within the bore of the access member. The seal includes a fabric material and an elastomeric material, and defines an internal passageway dimensioned to form a substantial sealing relation with an object inserted therethrough.

Abstract: The present invention includes a prosthesis device composed of a plurality of filaments engaged together to self expand against the inner surface of a vessel. In this respect a pocket is created between the prosthesis and the vessel walls which prevent plaque and other debris from escaping downstream to potentially cause complications.

Abstract: A woven tube having a warp direction oriented lengthwise to the tube and a fill direction oriented circumferentially of the tube is disclosed. The tube is woven from a plurality of elastic warp yarns arranged parallel to the warp direction and a plurality of elastic fill yarns arranged parallel to the fill direction. The tube has one or more discrete regions of relatively greater flexibility formed in either the warp or fill directions at locations along the tube. The flexibility is oriented in the warp direction or the fill direction by weaving either the warp or fill yarns, respectively, under relatively less tension.

Abstract: A clip for repair of a heart valve is disclosed. The clip has a plurality of legs joined at one end to a common attachment, the opposite ends of the legs being free to move. The legs are resilient and flexible, allowing the free ends to be separated to receive the leaflets of a valve between them. The legs are resiliently biased so as to close upon the leaflets. Hooks positioned at the free ends engage the leaflets and attach the legs to them. Thus positioned, the clip restrains the motion of the leaflets relatively to one another to prevent valve prolapse. Legs formed of loops or having spiral shapes are feasible. The common attachment may comprise a threaded ferrule, a bent or looped wire segment as well as a cylindrical shell or a ring.

Abstract: A tool having a deployable cutting blade for making an undercut in a substrate is disclosed. The tool has a chamber positioned between its cutting tip and its tang. The cutting blade is movably mounted within the chamber. The blade is movable by sliding, pivoting or deflecting on a cantilever mounting and is movable between a retracted position within the chamber and an extended position projecting outwardly to engage and cut the substrate. Actuators for moving the blade include an eccentric cam mounted on a camshaft, a push rod and an inflatable balloon. Blades are also resiliently mounted and oriented so that their engagement with the substrate will cause them to retract into the chamber when the tool rotates in one direction and deploy into the extended position when the tool rotates in the opposite direction.

Abstract: An anchor removably positionable within a cavity in a substrate is disclosed. The anchor has an anchor body from which a plurality of resiliently biased legs extend. The legs are movable between a first position within the envelope of the anchor body diameter, and a second position extending radially beyond the anchor body diameter. The legs are biased to assume the second position when unconstrained. Free ends of the legs have engagement surfaces receivable within an insertion tool for constraining the legs into the first position. An attachment extends from the anchor body for connection to an item to be attached to the substrate. Insertion of the anchor into a distal portion of the cavity having a reduced diameter forces the legs into the first position, allowing engagement of the insertion tool with the legs and removal of the anchor from the cavity.

Abstract: Methods for attaching an axial filament to the body of a self expanding stent, the filament serving to enhance the radial self expanding force of the stent body. Also stents having enhanced radial self expansion characteristics.

Abstract: A one-way valve suitable for implant in the human vascular system is disclosed. The valve is formed by a tube of braided filaments and has an upstream end supported in an open configuration by a radial support. The valve has a downstream portion formed by a plurality of flexible leaflets resiliently biased into a closed configuration sealing the valve. The leaflets separate under pressure to allow fluid flow downstream but close in response to back pressure to prevent retrograde flow. The leaflets are biased by internal elastic forces within the filaments or by means of a resilient flexible membrane. To prevent collapse of leaflets under relatively high back pressure, elongated support columns are arranged lengthwise along the tube. A second radial support is provided downstream to support the columns. Fasteners are positioned circumferentially around the tube to anchor the valve within the lumen of the vascular vessel.

Abstract: Methods for attaching an axial filament to the body of a self expanding stent, the filament serving to enhance the radial self expanding force of the stent body. Also stents having enhanced radial self expansion characteristics.

Abstract: A one-way valve suitable for implant in the human vascular system is disclosed. The valve is formed by a tube of braided filaments and has an upstream end supported in an open configuration by a radial support. The valve has a downstream portion formed by a plurality of flexible leaflets resiliently biased into a closed configuration sealing the valve. The leaflets separate under pressure to allow fluid flow downstream but close in response to back pressure to prevent retrograde flow. The leaflets are biased by internal elastic forces within the filaments or by means of a resilient flexible membrane. To prevent collapse of leaflets under relatively high back pressure, elongated support columns are arranged lengthwise along the tube. A second radial support is provided downstream to support the columns. Fasteners are positioned circumferentially around the tube to anchor the valve within the lumen of the vascular vessel.

Abstract: A device and method for making medical balloons such as for angioplasty. The device has fibers that may be of different materials, shapes, sizes, and directions, with the interstitium filled by a polymer materials to render it waterproof and able to be pressurized. The device exhibits improved strength and flexibility. Preferably, the device is steerable, radiopaque, and can operate at very high inflation pressures in order to facilitate low impedance angioplasty.

Abstract: A stiffened fabric of interlaced filamentary members is disclosed, stiffening of the fabric being effected by joining the filamentary members together at mutual points of contact within the fabric to prevent relative motion of the filamentary members. Joining of the members is effected by heat fusing, chemical fusing or adhesive bonding at selected points to control the stiffness of the fabric. Bio-absorbable materials are used to form some of the filamentary members so that the stiffness and porosity of the fabric changes over time as the bio-absorbable material is absorbed when the fabric is implanted in living tissue.

Abstract: A tubular support for supporting vessels made of living tissue in an anastomosis procedure is disclosed. The support is biased so as to resiliently and elastically maintain a predetermined length and diameter. The support has ends insertable into the lumens of the vessels through openings, either in the end or in an incision in the vessel sidewall. The ends are compressed radially to a smaller diameter upon insertion and expand due to the biasing force to engage each vessel and support them in proximity to one another for surgically joining, for example, by suturing. The tubular support is formed by braiding elastic filamentary members into a tubular configuration under tension to provide the biasing force or by braiding resilient filamentary members into a tubular configuration. The tubular support may be made of bio-absorbable material or it may have an elastic, fluid impermeable membrane.

Abstract: A supported lattice is disclosed having a support substrate formed of a plurality of resilient filamentary members braided together to yield a coarse mesh having relatively large interstices and a cell cultivation lattice formed of a plurality of flexible filamentary members braided together and with the resilient filamentary members to form a fine mesh having small interstices. The cell cultivation lattice provides a bed adapted for growing cells in a two-dimensional array across the large interstices of the support substrate to form a continuous surface of living tissue useful to form a graft.

Abstract: A bag for use in the intravascular treatment of saccular aneurysms and a method of forming the bag are disclosed. The bag is formed from a plurality of flexible, resilient filamentary members braided into a tubular sleeve and biased into a first shape having an expanded first diameter sized to substantially fill the aneurysm. The bag is resiliently deformable into a second shape having a diameter smaller than the first and sized to slidingly interfit within the lumen of a catheter. An opening is provided in the bag to receive a clotting medium, such as a platinum wire, on which blood clots can be induced to form by mechanical or electrolytic means. The opening is urged to a closed position by resiliently biasing the filamentary members. In use the, bag is inserted into a saccular aneurysm via the catheter and expands to its first diameter upon release therefrom.

Abstract: A woven tube having a warp direction oriented lengthwise to the tube and a fill direction oriented circumferentially of the tube is disclosed. The tube is woven from a plurality of elastic warp yarns arranged parallel to the warp direction and a plurality of elastic fill yarns arranged parallel to the fill direction. The tube has one or more discrete regions of relatively greater flexibility formed in either the warp or fill directions at locations along the tube. The flexibility is oriented in the warp direction or the fill direction by weaving either the warp or fill yarns, respectively, under relatively less tension.

Abstract: A graft compatible with living animal tissue is disclosed. The graft has attachment regions with means for promoting growth of living animal tissue across the attachment regions to form a biological seal between the graft and the tissue. The means for promoting growth include locating pores in the attachment regions sized to favor growth of the tissue, increasing the surface area of the attachment regions by forming filamentary loops extending from the attachment regions, forming the attachment regions from textured filaments, forming the attachment regions from materials which elicit a healing reaction in living animal tissue or coating the attachment regions with a compound such as thrombin or collagen which promotes healing of the tissue.

Abstract: Leak and tear resistant grafts for repair and replacement of living animal tissue are disclosed. The grafts, which may be flat or tubular, are formed of interlaced filamentary members and have reinforced attachment regions defined by interlaced filamentary members of higher tensile strength. Higher strength is provided by use of high strength material, increased denier or number of plies of the filamentary members. High strength members inhibit propagation of tears which occur in the graft when the attachment region is pierced by sutures or staples. Filamentary members formed of textured, elastic or heat shrinkable yarns interlaced in the graft inhibit leakage.

Abstract: An intraluminal filter for vascular use during medical procedures is disclosed. The filter is formed of a plurality of flexible, resilient monofilament wires interbraided in a relatively open mesh forming a basket with a plurality of multifilament yarns braided in a relatively closed mesh having a predetermined porosity forming a filter element. The filter element is positioned distally of the basket forming a concave portion, the remaining portion of the basket being unobstructed and forming openings facing the concave portion. The filter is elastically deformable between two shape states, the first having a small diameter enabling the filter to slide within the bore of a catheter for positioning the filter in the lumen of an artery, the second shape state having a substantially larger diameter sized to sealingly interfit within the artery lumen. The filter is biased and will expand upon release from the catheter to the second shape state.

Abstract: A refueling drogue for rearward deployment from a tanker aircraft into an air stream includes a fuel valve for receiving fuel from the tanker aircraft and controlling a flow of the fuel; a coupling attached to the fuel valve for receiving fuel from the fuel valve; and a plurality of struts, each strut having a proximal end and a distal end wherein each strut is rotatably connected to the coupling at the proximal end and each strut includes a winglet at the distal end.