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 percutaneous heart valve prosthesis including a collapsible valve body frame has a first end and a second end. The valve body frame is formed by a plurality of sub-frame members, each sub-frame member having a general form of a diamond with acute-angled vertices and oblique-angled vertices, wherein adjacent sub-frame members are joined at the oblique-angled vertices. A flexible skirt made from a non-biologic material extends around a periphery of the valve body frame. A one-way valve including a plurality of flexible valve leaflets is positioned within the valve body frame. The first end of the valve body frame is sized to pass through a valve orifice associated with a heart valve to be replaced and the second end of the valve body frame is sized so as not to pass through a valve orifice.

This invention relates to the design and function of a compressible valve replacement prosthesis, collared or uncollared, which can be deployed into a beating heart without extracorporeal circulation using a transcatheter delivery system. The design as discussed focuses on the deployment of a device via a minimally invasive fashion and by way of example considers a minimally invasive surgical procedure preferably utilizing the intercostal or subxyphoid space for valve introduction. In order to accomplish this, the valve is formed in such a manner that it can be compressed to fit within a delivery system and secondarily ejected from the delivery system into the annulus of a target valve such as a mitral valve or tricuspid valve.

A blood filter delivery system for delivering a filter into a vein includes an introducer and a push rod with a spline member disposed along the push rod. The spline member has a main body, and first and second boss portions spaced apart along the longitudinal axis to provide a gap for retaining anchor member of the filter during delivery via the introducer.

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.

An implantable prosthetic device, such as a breast implant, includes a shell made of a biocompatible elastomeric material. The shell has a front portion and a base that surround an interior volume of the shell. A scaffold is disposed within the interior volume of the shell. The scaffold has an inner surface facing the base and an outer surface facing the front portion of the shell. A silicone gel is disposed within the interior volume of the shell. The scaffold has a shape that mirrors the shape of the front portion of the shell. The scaffold reinforces the shell to provide form stability for maintaining the shape of the shell and minimizing folding, dimpling and/or wrinkling of the shell. A second scaffold may be nested within the first scaffold. The second scaffold has a smaller outer dimension than an inner dimension of the first scaffold.

A medical implant delivery system is described. The system can be used to deliver a variety of implants including stents and/or stent grafts. The delivery system retains the implant during delivery and detaches the implant at a target location.

Apparatus includes a delivery tool and a prosthetic valve, the prosthetic valve includes a first frame, and a second frame coupled to the first frame. The delivery tool includes a first catheter, a second catheter, and a rod. A steerable portion of the second catheter extends out of the first catheter, and a steerable distal portion of the rod extends out of the second catheter. An extracorporeal rod-controller is operably coupled to the rod such that operating the extracorporeal rod-controller steers the steerable distal portion of the rod. In a delivery state of the apparatus, the prosthetic valve is compressed onto the rod, distal to the distal end of the second catheter, and the apparatus is transfemorally and transseptally advanceable into a left atrium of a heart of a subject. Other embodiments are also described.

A method of treating an eye of a patient may include positioning an expandable strut structure within at least one of an internal carotid artery, an ophthalmic artery, or an ostium at a junction between the internal carotid artery and the ophthalmic artery. Additionally, the method may include directing blood flow towards the ophthalmic artery via a diverter element associated with the expandable strut structure.

The devices and methods described herein include an implantable body lumen fluid flow modulator including an upstream flow accelerator separated by a gap from a downstream flow decelerator. The gap is a pathway to entrain additional fluid from a branch lumen(s) into the fluid stream flowing from the upstream flow accelerator to the downstream flow decelerator.