Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a branched endoprosthesis comprising a graft component and at least one support component. In various embodiments, the branched endoprosthesis comprises a body portion and a plurality of leg portions, wherein the legs are in an aligned configuration for ease of cannulation. In various embodiments, at least one leg is in an open configuration for ease of cannulation. Cannulation methods are also described.

Abstract: A minimally invasive circulatory support platform that utilizes an aortic stent pump or pumps. The platform uses a low profile catheter-based techniques and provides temporary and chronic circulatory support depending on the needs of the patient. Also described is a catheter-based temporary assist pump to treat patients with acute decompensated heart failure and provide circulatory support to subjects undergoing high risk percutaneous coronary intervention (“PCI”). Further described is a wirelessly powered circulatory assist pump for providing chronic circulatory support for heart failure patients. The platform and system are relatively easy to place, have higher flow rates than existing systems, and provide improvements in the patient's renal function.

Abstract: The invention provides methods, devices and systems for delivering, positioning and/or repositioning an expandable prosthetic heart valve in a patient's heart chamber. At least one non-looped wire and looped wire pair is operatively connected with an expanded prosthetic heart valve that is collapsed within a delivery catheter lumen having its distal end positioned in the subject heart chamber. The collapsed prosthetic heart valve is translated through the delivery catheter lumen to and out of its distal end where the prosthetic heart valve expands to a working configuration. The wire(s) of the non-looped and looped wire pair may be manipulated by pulling proximately or pushing distally to position or reposition the expanded prosthetic stent into position, then released from connection with the positioned stent and withdrawn from the patient.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for deploying implantable devices within the body. The delivery and deployment systems include at least one catheter or an assembly of catheters for selectively positioning the lumens of the implant to within target vessels. Various deployment and attachment mechanisms are provided for selectively deploying the implants.

Abstract: A device is intended to be attached to or interconnected with a medical implant, and intended to be attached to or interconnected with a catheter. The catheter is intended for implanting the implant.

Abstract: The invention relates to a brachytherapy applicator device for insertion in a body cavity. The applicator device comprises an applicator shaped for insertion in the body cavity; the applicator comprising connectable segments; at least one connectable part having a form following wall surface shaped to follow the body cavity, the wall surface having a multichannel groove structure, so as to guide a plurality of catheters along the grooves in the groove structure along the wall surface.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for closing an arteriotomy site are disclosed which may employ the use of a delivery sheath within which is provided an anchoring device formed of memory metal wherein the anchoring device can be extended into the blood vessel itself. The memory metal, has a linear insertion configuration and obtains a non-linear or coiled configuration which can then be pulled back against the inner surface of the blood vessel to form a backstop. A biodegradable plug is then introduced into the tissue tract until it engages the backstop thereby ensuring proper positioning of the biodegradable plug. The anchoring device can then be retracted through the biodegradable plug leaving the arteriotomy site substantially closed with hemostasis being formed therearound.

Abstract: A ventricular assist device (VAD) having static seal structure for a pump housing which includes a support structure, a first sealing element, and a second sealing element. The support structure circumscribes a pump chamber and includes a first sealing surface, an opposing second sealing surface, and a fluid transfer end interposed between the sealing surfaces. The support structure provides a fluid flow path running through the fluid transfer end and into the pump chamber via an inlet bore and from the pump chamber back through the fluid transfer end via an outlet bore. The first sealing element is disposed on the first sealing surface, and the second sealing element is disposed on the second sealing surface. The sealing elements are configured for forming sealing interfaces in the pump housing, establishing a static seal that isolates the pump chamber from an environment external to the fluid pump housing.

Abstract: A pneumatic ventricular assist device (VAD) is disclosed for use in any circulatory support application including RVAD, LAVD, or BIVAD, trans-operative, short-term or long-term, tethered implantable or extracorporeal. In the preferred embodiment, the VAD consists of a soft contoured pump shell and a disposable pumping unit, which includes: a pump sac; an inlet and an outlet (a.k.a. discharge) with one-way valves; and tubing connectors. The valves comprise a cantilevered pair of closely adjacent thin ledges, nicknamed “valve leaflets,” that resemble needle-nose pliers. The valve leaflets permit a one-way flow of blood between them, as an opposite flow pinches the distal ends of leaflets together, thereby closing off the channel between them. This design is specially designed to allow continuous and fluid movement of blood (in one direction) while limiting blood-contacting surfaces.

Abstract: An implantable left ventricular assist device using a cylindrical cam is provided, which is produced in a compact and module form and implanted in a patient who suffers from an acute cardiac insufficiency, to thereby enable oxygen to be supplied smoothly toward the heart of the patient and reconstruct the declined function of the heart. The implantable left ventricular assist device includes an actuator for generating a linearly reciprocating driving force, a pusher plate which performs a linearly reciprocating motion by the actuator, a blood sac which is contracted and expanded due to compression by reciprocating the pusher plate and the restoration of a sac itself, and a chamber for accommodating the blood sac, the pusher plate and the actuator, combining the same physically, and protecting the same within the body of a patient.

Abstract: A fully implantable left ventricular assist system comprising a pumping means connectable via adapter elements to the ventricle includes two compressible chambers in the form of sacs (5, 5′) and a compressing means (4) to alternatingly fill and discharge the compressible chambers (5, 5′) at the same time, including a drive unit (41) assigned thereto, a cooling means (50) for cooling the drive unit (41), and a power supply unit (60) for the drive unit (41) and cooling means (50).

Abstract: An artificial heart assembly may be provided with a blood inlet conduit adapted to be implanted within a subject, a blood outlet conduit adapted to be implanted within the subject, a pumping mechanism implanted within the subject that pumps blood from the blood inlet conduit to the blood outlet conduit, and a motor coupled to drive the pumping mechanism. The artificial heart apparatus has a power source and a control circuit operatively coupled to cause the motor to drive the pumping mechanism in a regular mode when the power source has a relatively high charge level and in an irregular mode when the power source has a relatively low charge level so that the subject can feel when the pumping mechanism is being driven in the irregular mode and thus know that the power source has the relatively low charge level.

Abstract: A rotary torque-to-axial force energy conversion apparatus employs a rotatable member, a translatable member, and a magnetic coupling therebetween. The magnetic coupling converts a rotary torque on the rotatable member to an axial force on the translatable member, and includes a first permanent magnet comprising part of the rotatable member and a second permanent magnet comprising part of the translatable member. By way of example, the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet may each comprise interleaved, helical magnet sections of alternating polarities. A significant application of the energy conversion apparatus comprises an actuator apparatus for a ventricle assist device (VAD) or a total artificial heart (TAH). By oscillating the drive motor energizing the rotatable member, an oscillating rotary torque is achieved that is converted by the magnetic coupling to a reciprocating axial motion on the translatable member.