A stent delivery system including an elongate shaft of a medical device, a stent selectively coupled to a distal portion of the elongate shaft, and a coupling mechanism for selectively coupling the stent to the elongate shaft by inserting a tab on one of the stent or the elongate shaft into an opening in the other of the stent or the elongate shaft. The tab may be deflected from a first position to a second position to disengage the tab from the opening.

Apparatus and methods are described herein for use in the delivery and deployment of a prosthetic mitral valve into a heart. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a catheter assembly, a valve holding tube and a handle assembly. The valve holding tube is releasably couplable to a proximal end portion of the catheter assembly and to a distal end portion of the handle assembly. The handle assembly includes a housing and a delivery rod. The delivery rod is configured to be actuated to move distally relative to the housing to move a prosthetic heart valve disposed within the valve holding tube out of the valve holding tube and distally within a lumen of the elongate sheath of the catheter assembly. The catheter assembly is configured to be actuated to move proximally relative to the housing such that the prosthetic valve is disposed outside of the lumen of the elongate sheath.

A tool for use in loading a transcatheter valve prosthesis within a delivery catheter includes a body portion, a pivotable element and a biasing element. The body portion includes a central passageway extending form a proximal end to a distal end of the body portion. The central passageway is configured to receive a distal portion of a delivery catheter therethrough. The pivotable element is attached to the body portion and is configured to secure a tether during loading of a transcatheter valve prosthesis within the delivery catheter. The biasing element compresses the pivotable element against the body portion such that the pivotable element holds a second end against the delivery catheter and secures the tether thereto. The pivotable element may be two or more pivotable elements.

A stent delivery system includes: a first outer tube; a second outer tube disposed at a proximal side from the first outer tube; an inner tube connected to a distal end part of the second outer tube and configured to be inserted into the first outer tube; a traction member connected to a proximal end part of the first outer tube and configured to be inserted into the second outer tube; and a stent housed between the inner tube and the first outer tube. The surface roughness of an outer surface of the second outer tube is higher than the surface roughness of an outer surface of the first outer tube.

Disclosed herein is a method of crimping a prosthetic heart valve using a compact crimping mechanism. The crimping mechanism includes a plurality of jaws configured for coordinated inward movement toward a crimping axis to reduce the size of a crimping iris around a stented valve. A rotating cam wheel acts on the jaws and displaces them inward. A number of Cartesian guide elements cooperate with the jaws to distribute forces within the crimping mechanism. The guide elements are located between the crimping jaws and an outer housing and are constrained by the outer housing for movement along lines that are tangential to a circle centered on the crimping axis. The guide elements engage at least some of the crimping jaws while the rest are in meshing engagement so as to move in synch. An actuation mechanism includes a lead screw, carriage assembly and a linkage to rotate the cam wheel with significant torque.

A prosthesis retaining assembly for securing an implantable prosthesis to a catheter assembly can include a first member including a prosthesis retaining slot configured to retain a portion of the prosthesis. The retaining slot can have a first portion with a first width and a second portion with a second width. The first portion can be distal to the second portion. The second width can be larger than the first width, and the retaining slot can have an opening at a first surface of the first member. The prosthesis retaining assembly can also include a second member configured to be move relative to the first member. The second member can be configured to move to a position that obstructs a portion of the opening of the retaining slot.

A trackable guidewire apparatus and method for use are described. Longitudinally spaced proximal and distal guidewire ends are separated by a guidewire body. A plurality of longitudinally spaced position sensors are configured to provide signals corresponding to a three-dimensional position of at least one position sensor in a coordinate system of an associated tracking system in response to an electromagnetic field/stimulus. At least one retention mechanism is provided for maintaining the medical device in a predetermined retention position longitudinally along the guidewire body. At least one stop structure is provided in a predetermined stop position longitudinally along the guidewire body.

A braided stent having a plurality of retrieval and/or repositioning levers includes a stent body formed of a plurality of wires interbraided in a braided pattern. The repositioning and/or retrieval levers have a loop portion extending radially away from the stent body and first and second legs extending along the stent body. The levers are configured to be actuated radially inward toward the central longitudinal axis of the stent by a radially inwardly directed force to radially collapse the stent.

Described here are delivery devices for delivering one or more implants to the body, and methods of using. The delivery devices may deliver implants to a variety of locations within the body, for a number of different uses. In some variations, the delivery devices have a cannula with one or more curved sections. In some variations, a pusher may be used to release one or more implants from the cannula. In some variations, one or more of the released implants may be a self-expanding device. Methods of delivering implants to one or more sinus cavities are also described here.

A method and an assembly for securing a crimped medical device over a deflated balloon of a balloon catheter is provided. The medical device is positioned in its expanded state over the deflated balloon of the balloon catheter, and is then crimped over the deflated balloon. First and second eyelets of first and second strings, respectively, are then threaded through first and second rings, respectively, that are provided on the medical device. Next, a locking wire is advanced through a lumen defined between the sheath and the catheter body to exit the distal end of the sheath, and then advanced through the first and second eyelets and into the distal tip of the balloon catheter. The sheath is then advanced over the crimped medical device to the distal tip to completely cover the crimped medical device.