Apparatus and methods are described including rotating at least a portion of a valve frame in a first direction and subsequently rotating the valve frame in a second direction. The valve frame includes chord-recruiting arms. An outer surface of each of the chord-recruiting arms has a smooth, convex curvature that extends along substantially a full length of the chord-recruiting arm, such that during the rotation of the portion of the valve frame in the first direction, the chords slide over the outer surface of the chord-recruiting arm without be recruited or caught by the chord-recruiting arm. An inner surface of each of the chord-recruiting arms has a concave curvature, such that during the rotation of the portion of the valve frame in the second direction, the chords are recruited within a space defined by the concave curvature.

The present invention relates to an endoluminal device for implantation in a body lumen, such as a pancreatic duct. The device is provided with a distal end region having greater flexibility than that of a medial region of the device.

Disclosed herein are various embodiments directed to a device for minimally invasive medical treatment. The device being a hollow tube with a first end, a second end, and one or more anchors configured to extend outward from the exterior of the hollow tube. The hollow tube having a plurality of cutouts on the exterior, wherein the cutouts allow the hollow tube to be flexible. Additionally, the hollow tube may have at least one snap mechanism configured to connect the first end and the second end together.

A prosthesis, radiation bolus, pre-surgical model, or burn mask formed using a rapid prototyping device, such as a three-dimensional printer. In some exemplary aspects, the prosthesis includes a scaffolding and a coating at least partially covering the scaffolding. Methods and systems for forming the prosthesis, radiation bolus, pre-surgical model, or burn mask are also provided.

A tube stent includes a first tube body. The first tube body includes a first section, a second section, and a transition section located between the first section and the second section. One end of the transition section is connected to the first section, and the other end is connected to the second section. The shortening rate of the first section and the shortening rate of the second section are smaller than the shortening rate of the transition section. By using the tube stent, the pulsations of aortas are buffered by the transition section, so that vibration deformations of the tube stent are confined to the first section and the transition section, and accordingly the relative stability of the second section and branch blood vessels can be ensured, and the stimulations to walls of the branch blood vessels can be reduced.

A kink resistant stent graft includes a graft forming a tube with a central lumen extending from a first end of the tube to a second end of the tube and a stent secured to the graft adjacent the first end of the tube. The graft includes a corrugated inner graft layer forming at least a middle portion of the tube, and an outer graft layer covering the corrugated inner graft layer.

A system has a heart valve assembly that includes a stent-frame having an anchoring section and an outflow section, with the anchoring section having a distal annulus section and a support section that is positioned between the distal annulus section and the outflow section. The distal annulus section has a concave inflection. A leaflet assembly is stitched to the anchoring section. The system also includes a balloon on which the heart valve assembly is crimped, the balloon having a central valve contact portion that has an outflow portion, a neck portion, and a central portion between the outflow portion, and the neck portion. The outflow portion of the balloon receives the outflow section of the stent-frame, the central portion of the contact portion of the balloon receives the support section of the stent-frame, and the neck portion receives the annulus section of the stent-frame.

Distal tips for use with delivery catheters are disclosed that are configured to facilitate deflection of the catheters as they are advanced through the vasculature to a desired treatment site. Distal tips so configured realize one or more of the objectives of safer, more accurate steering of the catheter through the vasculature.

A prosthetic heart valve may include an expandable stent, a cuff attached to an annulus section of the stent, and a plurality of leaflets disposed within an interior region of the stent and attached to at least one of the cuff or the stent. The stent may have a plurality of cells connected to one another in a plurality of annular rows around the stent. The leaflets together may have a coapted position occluding the interior region of the stent and an open position in which the interior region is not occluded. Each leaflet may include a primary leaflet material, as well as features that reinforce specific regions of the leaflet.

A prosthetic device, such as a prosthetic heart valve, can include a frame that is radially expandable and compressible between a radially compressed state and a radially expanded state. In some examples, the prosthetic device can include locking mechanisms that are configured to hold the prosthetic device in a radially expanded state. In some examples, the locking mechanisms can be integrated into the frame of the prosthetic device.