Systems and methods for the manufacture of an hourglass shaped stent-graft assembly comprising an hourglass shaped stent, graft layers, and an assembly mandrel having an hourglass shaped mandrel portion. Hourglass shaped stent may have superelastic and self-expanding properties. Hourglass shaped stent may be encapsulated using hourglass shaped mandrel assembly coupled to a dilatation mandrel used for depositing graft layers upon hourglass shaped mandrel assembly. Hourglass shaped mandrel assembly may have removably coupled conical portions. The stent-graft assembly may be compressed and heated to form a monolithic layer of biocompatible material. Encapsulated hourglass shaped stents may be used to treat subjects suffering from heart failure by implanting the encapsulated stent securely in the atrial septum to allow blood flow from the left atrium to the right atrium when blood pressure in the left atrium exceeds that on the right atrium. The encapsulated stents may also be used to treat pulmonary hypertension.

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.

Disclosed herein is a unique family of medical implants which are engineered outside of a subject's body into a form which may be manipulated in vivo. The implants comprise a region of at least one weldable material which allows welding of the implant to a polymeric material introduced into the body prior to, together with or after the implant has been positioned.

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.

An artificial replacement disk assembly comprised of a core in between two endplates. The endplates have outer surfaces that match the surface morphologies of the corresponding vertebral endplates. The endplates may have textured inner surface to form a strong fusion with the core during the fabrication process. The thick solid endplates strongly fused to the core create a very resilient implant. Gripping structures on the endplates may permit easy manipulation of the assembly during surgical procedures.

A handle assembly for a prosthesis delivery device is disclosed. The handle assembly comprises a stationary main handle having a proximal end and a distal end and an outer surface extending therebetween. A first helical groove is formed in at least a portion of the outer surface of the main handle and a first trigger wire actuation mechanism disposed about the main handle and rotatably moveable relative to the main handle. A first trigger wire is operatively connected to the first trigger wire actuation mechanism, the first trigger wire having a prosthesis capture condition and a prosthesis release condition. Movement of the first trigger wire actuation mechanism causes movement of the first trigger wire thereby moving the first trigger wire from the prosthesis capture condition to the prosthesis release condition. Additional trigger wire actuation mechanisms operatively connected to one or more additional trigger wires may also be disposed about the main handle.

A stented valve including a generally tubular stent structure that has a longitudinal axis, first and second opposite ends, a plurality of commissure support structures spaced from the first and second ends and extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis, at least one structural wire positioned between each two adjacent commissure support structures, and at least one wing portion extending from two adjacent commissure support structures and toward one of the first and second ends of the stent structure. The stewed valve further includes a valve structure attached within the generally tubular stent structure to the commissure support structures.

A frame for an implantable medical device, comprising: a first member, comprising a plurality of struts defining a plurality of cells, wherein the first member is annular and defines a longitudinal direction which is parallel to the axis of the first member, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction; a second member, comprising a plurality of struts and coupled to the first member at circumferentially distributed locations; wherein the second member overlaps a first end portion of the first member and extends beyond the first end portion of the first member.

A heart valve assembly includes an inner frame comprising a graft covering housing a prosthetic heart valve, wherein the graft covering extends around the prosthetic heart valve for providing sealing to the heart valve, an outer frame formed from a metallic material and defining a gridded configuration, and being secured to the graft covering by a plurality of stitches, and a sealing material positioned externally to the outer frame for providing sealing between the outer frame and a patient's anatomical wall to prevent paravalvular leaks. The sealing material includes a plurality of radially extending fibers that extend outwardly of the outer frame. The graft covering is made of polyester, polytetrafluoroethylene, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, or a polymer.

The present invention relates to a prosthesis (1) for hernia repair comprising a reinforcement layer (2), a first barrier layer (3) of anti-adhesion material covering at least a part of a surface of the reinforcement layer, and a second barrier layer of anti-adhesion material covering a remaining part of the surface of the reinforcement layer, the second barrier layer being formed of one or more flap member(s) (4).