Methods of implanting docking devices for prosthetic valves at a native heart valve include positioning a distal end of a delivery catheter into a first chamber of a heart, advancing a tubular body of a docking device from within the delivery catheter so that the distal end of the tubular body is advanced between native valve leaflets and positioned in a second chamber of the heart. The methods further include inserting a coil into a lumen of the docking device so that the tubular body adopts a configuration, releasing a proximal end of the docking device in the first chamber, inserting a replacement valve in an inner space of the docking device, and radially expanding the replacement valve until there is a retention force between the replacement valve and the docking device to hold the replacement valve in a stable position in the native valve.

A vascular prosthesis (e.g., stent), and packaging and delivery system to selectively deliver a vascular prosthesis are described. In some embodiments, the vascular prosthesis utilizes a low porosity and high porosity section, and the packaging and delivery system allows the prosthesis to be delivered such that the position of the low porosity and high porosity sections of the prosthesis can vary.

A delivery device includes a control release shaft and a pusher shaft disposed within the control release shaft. A distal end of the control release shaft includes a collar having a sloped distal edge. The control release shaft is rotatable in order to rotate the collar. The pusher shaft has a distal end having a spindle coupled thereto. The spindle is configured to receive at least one connector extending from at least one endmost crown of the self-expanding prosthesis in order to releasably attach the self-expanding prosthesis to the pusher shaft. When disposed over an end of the self-expanding prosthesis, the collar is configured to radially restrain the endmost crowns and the connector of the self-expanding prosthesis. Actuation of an actuator of the delivery device rotates and proximally retracts the collar relative to the spindle to achieve incremental release of the endmost crowns and the connector of the self-expanding prosthesis.

A mesh element having a mesh gauge selected to control flow of materials therethrough. The mesh element is implantable into an anatomical structure upstream of a body passage or within a body passage to control flow of materials through the body passage. The mesh element may be coupled to a support structure to facilitate anchoring of the mesh element in place relative to the body passage. The support structure may have a lumen defined therethrough to allow flow of materials through the body passage, with the mesh element regulating the flow of materials into the lumen. The mesh element alternatively may be directly coupled to an anatomical structure upstream of a body passage to regulate or determine flow of materials through the body passage.

An implantable device delivery system is disclosed. The delivery system includes a constraining member situated between an interior layer and an exterior layer of a cover. The interior layer of the cover is disposed about an implantable medical device, and the exterior layer of the cover extends over a portion of the interior layer. The cover is generally tapered to minimize deployment forces. The constraining member is disposed about a portion of the interior layer and operates to constrain the implantable device to a delivery configuration. The cover and the constraining member are generally configured to be removed concurrently during deployment of the implantable device.

A system for fracturing a frame of a deployed prosthesis with ultrasonic vibration includes a shaft, a tip assembly, an ultrasonic electric generator, and an ultrasonic transducer. The shaft includes a proximal portion and a distal portion. The tip assembly is coupled to the distal portion of the shaft. The tip assembly includes a cutting edge. The ultrasonic transducer is electrically coupled to the ultrasonic generator. Ultrasonic vibration generated by the ultrasonic transducer is translated to the tip assembly. The cutting edge of the tip assembly is configured to focus the vibration of the tip assembly onto a frame of a deployed prosthesis to fracture the frame of the prosthesis. The ultrasonic transducer may be coupled to the proximal portion or the distal portion of the shaft.

A branch stent for implantation from a main blood vessel in a plurality of branch blood vessels having respective branch blood vessel diameters, the branch stent comprising: a tubular element having: an axis of elongation; a first and a second tubular element end; the tubular element covered with a tubular element cover; and a parachute element having an unconstrained flat-toroid/disc configuration, the parachute element having a parachute element cover, the parachute element positioned perpendicularly at the second tubular element end, and positioned coaxially to the axis of elongation; wherein the branch stent is implanted from within a fenestrated stent-graft having oversized fenestrations, the fenestrated stent-graft first implanted in the main blood vessel at a bifurcation zone including the plurality of branch blood vessels, with each of the oversized fenestrations having respective diameters larger than respective branch blood vessel diameters; wherein the branch stent and the fenestrated stent-graft are together a multi-stent.

This application relates to a stent inserted in an eustachian tube for treatment of eustachian tube dysfunction. In one aspect, the stent includes a pressure controller which blocks the eustachian tube and is opened/closed according to a pressure difference between front and rear portions thereof to control a pressure in the eustachian tube. The stent may also include a eustachian tube expansion portion which is connected to the pressure controller and has a hollow portion passed therein to make a fluid move in back and forth directions of the eustachian tube, and is inserted in the eustachian tube to expand the eustachian tube by transforming a shape thereof in a radial direction of the eustachian tube.

A prosthetic heart valve and associated methods for assembling a prosthetic heart valve including a plurality of leaflets is disclosed. As one example, a prosthetic heart valve includes a frame; a plurality of commissure support elements, each connected the frame and including two axially-extending members spaced apart from one another to form a window; and a plurality of leaflets, each leaflet comprising a body and two opposing commissure tabs, each commissure tab arranged adjacent to another commissure tab to form a pair of commissure tabs that are disposed in a commissure support element to form a commissure. Each commissure tab includes a series of overlapping layers that include a first set of two overlapping layers that extends through the window and a second set of two overlapping layers that extends away from the first set of two overlapping layers and over an outer side of a corresponding axially-extending member.

Systems and methods for implanting a shunt for regulating blood pressure between a patient's left and right atria are provided. The shunt comprises an anchor having a neck region, first and second end regions, and a conduit affixed with the anchor formed of a biocompatible material that is resistant to transmural and translation tissue ingrowth and that reduces a risk of paradoxical embolism. The shunt may be advanced through the sheath until the first region protrudes from the sheath and self-expands within the left atrium. The shunt and the sheath may then be retracted until the first region contacts the left side of the atrial septum. The sheath may further be retracted until the counterforce exerted by shunt tension on the atrial septum overcomes the friction of the retained portions of the shunt such that the second region is exposed from the sheath and self-expands within the second atrium.