Described herein are shock wave devices and methods for the treatment of calcified heart valves. One variation of a shock wave device may comprise an elongated flexible tube carried by a sheath. The tube may have a fluid input end, which may be located near a proximal end of the sheath. The tube may include a loop portion. The loop portion may be configured to be at least partially accommodated within a cusp of the heart valve. The tube may be fillable with a conductive fluid. In some variations, the shock wave device may include an array of electrode pairs associated with a plurality of wires positioned within the loop portion of a tube. The electrode pairs may be electrically connectable to a voltage source and configured to generate shock waves in the conductive fluid in response to voltage pulses.

Devices, assemblies, systems, and techniques described herein may deliver a pressure wave to structures of a heart, such an aortic valve. For example, a medical assembly may include an expandable member configured to expand from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration, the expandable member configured to at least partially define a channel through the expandable member in the expanded configuration and one or more electrodes carried by the expandable member. The one or more electrodes may be configured to transmit an electrical signal through a fluid to cause the fluid to undergo cavitation that generates a pressure wave within the fluid.

A device for fracturing calcifications in heart valves includes a stabilizer and an impactor movable towards each other. The impactor includes one or more impactor arms, each of which extends distally from a proximal cap. The impactor further includes one or more lever arms each of which is distally coupled to a lever cap and proximally coupled to a corresponding one of the one or more impactor arms. The lever cap slides on a shaft which extends towards the proximal cap. Proximal movement of the lever cap towards the proximal cap causes the one or more lever arms to deform and to push against the one or more impactor arms and to cause the one or more impactor arms to deform.

A method of diverting fluid flow from a first vessel including an occlusion to a second vessel includes deploying a prosthesis at least partially in a fistula and making valves in the second vessel incompetent. Making the valves in the second vessel incompetent includes at least one of using a reverse valvulotome to cut the valves, inflating a balloon, expanding a stent, and lining the second vessel with a stent.

A valvuloplasty device comprises an expandable anchor and an expansion member mounted about an outer surface of the expandable anchor. The expansion member is either an annular balloon or a sleeve. The valvuloplasty device can be used for valvuloplasty and for valve implantation.

Provided is an aortic valve evaluation assisting jig which includes a partition wall member which partitions an aortic duct inner space into a space on an atmosphere open side and a space on an aortic valve side in a state where at least a part of the partition wall member is disposed in the aortic duct inner space, the partition wall member has: a seal portion which seals an evaluation liquid in a state where the seal portion is brought into contact with the aortic wall of an aortic duct inner space side; and a filling port through which the evaluation liquid is filled into the space on the aortic valve side in the aortic duct inner space.

Devices, systems, and methods for valve removal. In an embodiment of an umbrella device for removing a valve of the present disclosure, the umbrella device comprises an elongated shaft having a distal end, a first umbrella comprising a first mesh, the first umbrella coupled to the shaft at or near the distal end of the shaft, a second umbrella comprising a second mesh, the second umbrella coupled to the shaft proximal to the first umbrella, and a mechanical drill rotatably coupled to the shaft and positioned between the first umbrella and the second umbrella.

An invasive electrohydraulic lithotripter probe may comprise a lithotripter tip that comprises a first electrode and a second electrode. The lithotripter tip has a length in excess of 250 cm and is dimensioned to be inserted into a long channel having a length in excess of 250 cm. The lithotripter probe may include a material that reinforces a linear strength of at least a portion of the lithotripter probe.

The present application relates to an assembly for replacing a heart valve or coronary angioplasty assembly, including an insertion sheath (13) of an introducer (1) or a delivery catheter (1), which is smaller in size than an introducer, intended for being inserted into an artery of a human body. The application involves integrating the metal substrate of an electrode of the cardiac stimulator directly into the sheath for insertion into the artery of a patient.

A delivery system and method for delivering a prosthetic heart valve to the aortic valve annulus via a transaortic approach. The system includes a balloon catheter for delivering a balloon-expandable prosthetic heart valve through an introducer from an approach from outside the patient, through a minimally-invasive opening in the chest cavity through an incision in the aorta, and into the aorta and aortic annulus. The balloon catheter includes a flexible, tapered tip just distal of the balloon to facilitate positioning of the prosthetic heart valve in the proper orientation within the aortic annulus. The prosthetic heart valve may be installed over the existing calcified leaflets, and a pre-dilation valvuloplasty procedure may also be utilized.