A method for implanting a prosthesis centrally within a curved lumen includes loading a prosthesis into a delivery sheath, advancing the sheath in a patient towards the curved lumen to place at least the proximal end of the prosthesis within the curved lumen, and centering the proximal end of the prosthesis and/or the distal end of the sheath within the curved lumen. In a first advancing step, the outer catheter containing the inner sheath is advanced together towards the curved lumen to a location proximal of the curved lumen and, in a second advancing step, the inner sheath containing the prosthesis is advanced into the curved lumen to place at least the proximal end within the curved lumen while the outer catheter substantially remains at the location. After centering, the proximal end of the prosthesis is deployed centered within the curved lumen.

A delivery device includes a handle, a first sheath having a proximal end portion connected to the handle, a second sheath through which the first sheath is inserted, the second sheath translatable relative to the handle in a longitudinal direction of the delivery device, a third sheath through which the second sheath is inserted and a length adjustment mechanism. A distance in the longitudinal direction of the delivery device between a proximal end of the first sheath and a distal end of the third sheath defines a separation distance. The length adjustment mechanism adjusts the separation distance between a first length and a second length. The second length is longer than the first length.

A heart valve delivery system may include a handle, a shaft having a proximal end fixedly connected to the handle and extending distally along an axis away from the handle to a free end, and a tube surrounding the shaft. The tube may have a proximal end connected to the handle and extend distally along the axis away from the handle to a distal end. The tube may be axially movable relative to the shaft and the handle between a fully extended position at which the tube extends distally farther than the shaft, and a fully retracted position at which the shaft extends distally farther than the tube. The system may include an inserter for guiding insertion of the tube. In addition or in alternative to the inserter, the system may include a funnel for loading the prosthetic valve into the tube.

An example medical system includes a medical device configured to join the edges of the leaflets together, an elongate body configured to be navigated through vasculature to a heart valve of patient, and a plurality of tissue engagement devices extending from a distal end of the elongate body, each tissue engagement device comprising at least one clamp configured to capture leaflets of the heart valve.

A body of the device to position a coronary stent or pull a catheter transducer for intravascular ultrasound is composed of a front and a rear portion each of which comprises two similar halves, a ring on the front smooth portion of the body and a brace over the rear portion of the rear portion of the body. The rear portion of the body overlaps the front portion of the body. The front portion of the body is truncated on one side thereof and continuously extends on the opposite side thereof in the form of a smooth cylindrical portion of a smaller diameter and a runner guide. A cylindrical slot with point elements is provided along the circumference of the cylindrical portion of the front portion of the body on the side of the runner guide. A cylindrical brace is mounted on the rear portion of the body.

A self-expandable stent delivery system is disclosed, which is configured to be capable of moving a pull wire toward a distal side and toward a proximal side to achieve a further improvement of the operability. The self-expandable stent delivery system includes an operation unit having a holding portion that holds pull wires so that the pull wires are movable toward the distal side and toward the proximal side, and a switching portion configured to be capable of switching between limitation of movement of the pull wires held by the holding portion toward the distal side and release of the limitation.

Systems and methods are provided for removing air from a medical device, such as a stent-graft and/or its delivery device. In an exemplary embodiment, the stent-graft or its delivery system or both are exposed to perfluorocarbon, by immersing the stent-graft or flushing the delivery device to remove air from the stent-graft. Optionally, the stent-graft and/or delivery system may be flushed multiple times, e.g., with perfluorocarbon before or after flushing with carbon dioxide, saline, a bio-inert gas, and the like. Thereafter, the stent-graft may be introduced into a patient's body and deployed at a target location, such as the site of an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Embodiments of a Urological implant include an implant with an elongated body having a longitudinal axis. Optionally longitudinal ribs symmetrically oppose each other and are connected to elongated body. The longitudinal ribs are optionally elastically shiftable between a collapsed state and an expanded state relative to the spinal longitudinal axis, in order to retract or/and support periurethral tissue. Optionally the system includes an implant extraction handle. The extraction handle is optionally positioned proximally to the elongated body and connected to the longitudinal rib and subject to a pulling force to facilitate and/or force approximation of the longitudinal supports to the longitudinal axis. In some embodiments, an implant body includes longitudinally spaced arched members, interconnected via arch ends sequentially along a length of a first and second longitudinal rib. Optionally the arched members are elastically bendable to facilitate elastic contractibility of the implant body under a transverse compressive force.

An introducer assembly having a handle, at least one fiber operatively coupling at least one handle with one or more functions of the handle; and having a fiber routing system that allows a predetermined amount of slack to be created during assembly in at least one fiber so as to delay by a desired amount of time actuation of the one or more functions of the handle associated with the at least one fiber during operation of the handle.

A catheter assembly includes a tubular first and second catheters in fluid communication with each other, wherein the second catheter includes a port fitting and can be elastically longitudinally strained to cinch the first and second catheters together.