A heart valve system, the system including a radially self-expandable tubular body, a valve, and a tubular fabric. The tubular body having an inflow end and an outflow end. The valve being coupled to the tubular body and including a plurality of valve leaflets. The fabric being disposed on an outer surface of the tubular body, and the fabric having an inflow end and an outflow end. Furthermore, the outflow end of the fabric being directly connected to an outer circumferential edge of the valve.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, a stent is described having a generally cylindrical body formed from a single woven nitinol wire. The distal and proximal ends of the stent include a plurality of loops, some of which include marker members used for visualizing the position of the stent. In another embodiment, the previously described stent includes an inner flow diverting layer.

A joining arrangement between a main tube and a side arm (5) in a side arm stent graft (1). The side arm (5) is stitched into an aperture (11) in the main tube and is in fluid communication with it. The aperture is triangular, elliptical or rectangular and the side arm is cut off at an angle to leave an end portion having a circumferential length equal to the circumference of the aperture. The side arm can also include a connection socket (76) comprising a first resilient ring (79) around the arm at its end, a second resilient ring (80) spaced apart along the arm from the first ring and a zig zag resilient stent (82) between the first and second rings. The zig-zag resilient stent can be a compression stent. Both the main tube and the side arm are formed from seamless tubular biocompatible graft material.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, a stent is described having a generally cylindrical body formed from a single woven nitinol wire. The distal and proximal ends of the stent include a plurality of loops, some of which include marker members used for visualizing the position of the stent. In another embodiment, the previously described stent includes an inner flow diverting layer.

A vascular stent, including an inner stent tube as well as a proximal support and a distal support which are arranged on an outer wall of the inner stent tube. When the vascular stent is in a compressed configuration, the proximal support and the distal support are both folded and close to the outer wall of the inner stent tube; when the vascular stent is expanded from the compressed configuration to an expanded configuration, a free end of the proximal support expands towards the distal end of the vascular stent, and a free end of the distal support expands towards the proximal end of the vascular stent. The vascular stent can be anchored to a main stent tube in a blood vessel by the proximal support and the distal support, preventing the vascular stent from shifting or becoming dislodged after being transplanted into the main stent tube.

A method of managing left atrial pressure involves advancing a delivery catheter to a right atrium of a heart of a patient via a transcatheter access path, advancing the delivery catheter through an interatrial septum wall into a left atrium of the heart, deploying a distal end of a bypass fluid conduit from the delivery catheter, anchoring the distal end of the bypass fluid conduit to a pulmonary vein, withdrawing the delivery catheter through the interatrial septum wall, thereby exposing at least a portion of a medial segment of the bypass fluid conduit in the left atrium, anchoring a proximal end of the bypass fluid conduit to the interatrial septum wall, and withdrawing the delivery catheter from the heart.

A stent graft includes a main body extending along a longitudinal axis when in a preinstalled configuration prior to insertion into a body of a patient. The stent graft also includes a mobile external coupling extending away from the main body and configured to align with a secondary blood vessel within the body to provide access thereto. The main body includes a plurality of stents extending thereabout. The stents include a first bracketing stent extending about a proximal side of the mobile external coupling, and a second bracketing stent located adjacent the first bracketing stent and extending about a distal side of the mobile external coupling. The first bracketing stent includes peaks that are aligned along a first axis, and the second bracketing stent includes peaks that are aligned along a second axis that diverges from the first axis relative to a circumferential direction toward the mobile external coupling.

The invention is directed to an expandable stent for implantation in a body lumen, such as an artery, and a method for making it from a single length of tubing. The stent consists of a plurality of radially expandable cylindrical elements generally aligned on a common axis and interconnected by one or more links. A Y-shaped member comprised of a link and a U-shaped member has relief dimples formed in the curved portion of a valley to reduce localized stress and thereby reduce fatigue failure that can lead to link structure failure.

The invention includes modifications of a Z stent to allow the top struts of two Z stents deployed in the vena cava in a bilateral relationship, to interleave. One embodiment includes Z stents with angled top surfaces. A second embodiment includes Z stents having an intermediary suture but lacking the top suture in the topmost stent of a stacked stent module.

The present invention provides a method for stabilizing a fractured bone. The method includes positioning an elongate rod in the medullary canal of the fractured bone and forming a passageway through the cortex of the bone. The passageway extends from the exterior surface of the bone to the medullary canal of the bone. The method also includes creating a bonding region on the elongate rod. The bonding region generally aligned with the passageway of the cortex. Furthermore, the method includes positioning a fastener in the passageway of the cortex and on the bonding region of the elongate rod and thermally bonding the fastener to the bonding region of the elongate rod while the fastener is positioned in the passageway of the cortex.