Embodiments for a Mooreville Needle Introducer, and methods for using and making the same are disclosed. The Mooreville Needle Introducer can be constructed of a first part and a second part that can be joined together to form an enclosure for receiving a pusher. The first part and the second part can also be formed with pairs of complementing adapters that fasten together for secure alignment. The first part can be detached from the second part by applying force to a set of handles. When the first part and the second part are detached, they can be effectively cleansed and sterilized, eliminating any lingering bacteria.

Methods and materials for making complex, living, vascularized tissues for organ and tissue replacement, especially complex and/or thick, structures, such as liver tissue is provided. Tissue lamina is made in a system comprising an apparatus having (a) a first mold or polymer scaffold, a semi-permeable membrane, and a second mold or polymer scaffold, wherein the semi-permeable membrane is disposed between the first and second molds or polymer scaffolds, wherein the first and second molds or polymer scaffolds have means defining microchannels positioned toward the semi-permeable membrane, wherein the first and second molds or polymer scaffolds are fastened together; and (b) animal cells. Methods for producing complex, three-dimensional tissues or organs from tissue lamina are also provided.

One or more embodiments of the present invention are directed to a medical device having a textured surface with an arithmetical mean height value (Sa) below 3.0 μm and a developed interfacial area ratio (Sdr) above 1.0 and a density of peaks (Spd) above 1×10.sup.6 peaks/mm.sup.2; a process of preparing such a medical device using a microstructured template; and a method of treating a mammal with such a medical device.

To provide simple yet accurate stent graft fenestration, a patient-specific fenestration template is used as a guide for graft fenestration. To generate the fenestration template, a patient's medical imaging data such as CT scan data may be used to generate a 3-D digital model of an aorta lumen of the patient. The aorta lumen may encompass one or more branch vessels, which may be indicated on the 3-D digital model. Based on the 3-D digital model or a segment thereof, the fenestration template may be generated, for example, using 3-D printing technology. The fenestration template may include one or more holes or openings that correspond to the one or more branch vessels. To fenestrate a stent graft, the fenestration template is coupled to the stent graft so that the holes or openings on the fenestration template indicate the fenestration locations.

A method and apparatus is provided for creating an internal reconstruction tissue graft. Templates may be used to create a multitude of patterns in a variety of tissue reconstruction grafts. An apparatus may be used to create an internal tissue graft for reconstruction through either compression and/or removal of segments. An apparatus may be used, through either compression and or removal of segments of a preformed template made of synthetics and or metal that mirrors a template that can be used as an internal tissue graft for reconstruction. In a method, such as using software analysis and an apparatus, the physical properties of the tissue graft and its pre- and post-operative properties and appearance may be measured.

A prosthetic heart valve can include a support structure, an actuator member, and a plurality of leaflets. The support structure can have a plurality of struts and a plurality of rivets. The struts can have openings formed therein. The rivets can have first portions and second portions. The first portions can extend through the openings of the struts, and the second portions are larger than the first portion and the openings of the struts. The struts are pivotable about the rivets to radially expand and compress the support structure. The actuator member can be coupled to the struts of the support structure and configured to selectively actuate expansion and compression of the support structure. The leaflets can be coupled to the support structure and configured to allow unidirectional blood flow through the prosthetic heart valve.

An implant material having an implant surface comprising a plurality of tissue-contacting members arranged in a regular or irregular two-dimensional array, each tissue-contacting member having a convex curved tissue-contacting surface. Methods of preparing and using such implant materials.

A valve planning tool comprising: (a) a stem having a distal end and a proximal end, (b) an anchor indicator located at the distal end, and (c) a balloon located proximal of the anchor indicator, the balloon including: (i) a retracted state and (ii) a deployed state; wherein the balloon is inflatable from the retracted state to the deployed state and the balloon is substantially non-compliant so that the balloon is only inflatable to one size.

To estimate the length of a stent implanted in a blood vessel after implantation of the stent. A stent length estimation device 100 includes an implantation start position specifying means for receiving, from a user, a designation of an implantation start position of an aneurysm treatment stent which is formed by helicoidally braiding a plurality of metal wires and specifying the implantation start position of the stent on a three-dimensional blood vessel image which represents a three-dimensional shape of the blood vessel, an implantation direction specifying means for receiving a designation of an implantation direction of the stent from the user and specifying the implantation direction of the stent on the three-dimensional blood vessel image, a stent specification specifying means for specifying a diameter of the stent after expanded, a length of the stent after expanded, the number of wires of the stent, and a pitch length of the wires of the stent after expanded as a specification of the stent, and an implanted stent length calculating means for calculating a length of the stent which is implanted and expanded along with a blood vessel diameter on the basis of the specification of the stent specified by the stent specification specifying means and the blood vessel diameter of the blood vessel in the implantation direction specified by the implantation direction specifying means from the implantation start position specified by the implantation start position specifying means.

A template for measuring the cross section of a graft comprises a first half-body and a second half-body. The two half-bodies are mutually secured such that they can rotate the one with respect to the other around an axis, each one of the two half-bodies comprises a plurality of openings having known and different sizes, each one of the openings of the two half-bodies is open toward the outside through an at least partially radial slot. The two half-bodies can rotate the one with respect to the other around the axis between an open position and a closed position and vice versa. In the open position the slots of the first half-body axially coincide with the slots of the second half-body, and in the closed position the openings of the first half-body axially coincide with the openings of the second half-body.