Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080208332 | Valve Prosthesis Systems and Methods - Valve prostheses are disclosed that are adapted for secure and aligned placement relative to a heart annulus. The valve prostheses may be placed in a non-invasive manner, e.g., via trans-catheter techniques, and may be positioned/repositioned until proper alignment and positioning is achieved. The valve prosthesis may include a resilient ring, a plurality of leaflet membranes mounted with respect to the resilient ring, and a plurality of positioning elements movably mounted with respect to the flexible ring, each of the positioning elements defining a first tissue engaging region and a second tissue engaging region spaced from the first tissue engaging region. The positioning elements are adapted to substantially completely invert by rotating relative to the resilient ring between a first position in which each of the first and second tissue engaging regions is inwardly directed for facilitating positioning of the valve prosthesis within a delivery catheter, and a second position in which each of the first and second tissue engaging regions is outwardly directed for engaging tissue. The valve prosthesis may also include a valve skirt mounted with respect to the resilient ring. | 08-28-2008 |
20080221672 | Mitral Valve System - Valve prostheses are disclosed that are adapted for secure and aligned placement relative to a heart annulus. The valve prostheses may be placed in a non-invasive manner, e.g., via trans-catheter techniques. The valve prosthesis may include a resilient ring, a plurality of leaflet membranes mounted with respect to the resilient ring, and a plurality of positioning elements movably mounted with respect to the flexible ring. Each of the positioning elements defines respective proximal, intermediate, and distal tissue engaging regions cooperatively configured and dimensioned to simultaneously engage separate corresponding areas of the tissue of an anatomical structure, including respective first, second, and third elongate tissue-piercing elements. The proximal, distal, and intermediate tissue-engaging regions are cooperatively configured and dimensioned to simultaneously engage separate corresponding areas of the tissue of an anatomical structure so as to stabilize a position of the valve prosthesis with respect to the anatomical structure, including wherein for purposes of so simultaneously engaging the separate corresponding areas of tissue, at least one of the first, second, and third elongate tissue-piercing elements is pointed at least partially opposite the direction of blood flow, and at least another thereof is pointed at least partially along the direction of blood flow. The valve prosthesis may also include a skirt mounted with respect to the resilient ring for sealing a periphery of the valve prosthesis against a reverse flow of blood around the valve prosthesis. | 09-11-2008 |
20090264914 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEALING AN OPENING IN THE SIDE WALL OF A BODY LUMEN, AND/OR FOR REINFORCING A WEAKNESS IN THE SIDE WALL OF A BODY LUMEN, WHILE MAINTAINING SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL FLOW THROUGH THE BODY LUMEN - An expandable spherical structure for deployment in a blood vessel or other body lumen, comprising:
| 10-22-2009 |
20100268260 | Method and apparatus for restricting flow through an opening in the side wall of a body lumen, and/or for reinforcing a weakness in the side wall of a body lumen, while still maintaining substantially normal flow through the body lumen - An expandable substantially spherical structure for deployment in a blood vessel or other body lumen, comprising:
| 10-21-2010 |
20120289988 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RESTRICTING FLOW THROUGH AN OPENING IN THE SIDE WALL OF A BODY LUMEN, AND/OR FOR REINFORCING A WEAKNESS IN THE SIDE WALL OF A BODY LUMEN, WHILE STILL MAINTAINING SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL FLOW THROUGH THE BODY LUMEN - A method for making a device for causing thrombosis of an aneurysm, wherein said device comprises a single elastic filament configurable between (i) an elongated, substantially linear configuration, and (ii) a longitudinally-contracted, substantially three-dimensional configuration, said method comprising:
| 11-15-2012 |
20130103074 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RESTRICTING FLOW THROUGH AN OPENING IN THE SIDE WALL OF A BODY LUMEN, AND/OR FOR REINFORCING A WEAKNESS IN THE SIDE WALL OF A BODY LUMEN, WHILE STILL MAINTAINING SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL FLOW THROUGH THE BODY LUMEN - A device comprising a single closed loop of elastic filament configurable between (i) a first configuration for movement along a blood vessel; and (ii) a second configuration for lodging within a blood vessel, the second configuration providing a single flow-restricting face sized and configured to cover the mouth of the aneurysm and obstruct blood flow to the aneurysm while permitting substantially normal blood flow through the blood vessel, with the degree of obstruction at the mouth of the aneurysm being such that the aneurysm thromboses when the face is positioned over the aneurysm, the flow-restricting face comprising a plurality of lengths of the closed loop of filament disposed in close proximity to one another in a switchback configuration, and at least one leg for holding the flow-restricting face adjacent the mouth of the aneurysm, the leg configured so as to maintain substantially normal blood flow through the blood vessel. | 04-25-2013 |
20150032145 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RESTRICTING FLOW THROUGH AN OPENING IN THE SIDE WALL OF A BODY LUMEN, AND/OR FOR REINFORCING A WEAKNESS IN THE SIDE WALL OF A BODY LUMEN, WHILE STILL MAINTAINING SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL FLOW THROUGH THE BODY LUMEN - An expandable substantially spherical structure for deployment in a blood vessel or other body lumen, comprising:
| 01-29-2015 |
20150150436 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANIPULATING THE SIDE WALL OF A BODY LUMEN OR BODY CAVITY SO AS TO PROVIDE INCREASED VISUALIZATION OF THE SAME AND/OR INCREASED ACCESS TO THE SAME, AND/OR FOR STABILIZING INSTRUMENTS RELATIVE TO THE SAME - Apparatus comprising: a sleeve adapted to be slid over the exterior of an endoscope; a proximal balloon secured to the sleeve; an inflation/deflation tube carried by the sleeve and in fluid communication with the interior of the proximal balloon; a push tube slidably mounted to the sleeve; and a distal balloon secured to the distal end of the push tube, the interior of the distal balloon being in fluid communication with the push tube, wherein the distal balloon is capable of assuming a deflated condition and an inflated condition, and further wherein when the distal balloon is in its deflated condition, an axial opening extends therethrough, the axial opening being sized to receive the endoscope therein, and when the distal balloon is in its inflated condition, the axial opening is closed down. | 06-04-2015 |