A blood conduit with stent has a flexible conduit body and an expandable stent structure. The conduit body has a first opening end through which only an inflow of a blood enters and a second opening end through which only an outflow of the blood leaves. The stent structure includes a plurality of threads adhered to the conduit body and expands in directions intersecting an axial direction of the conduit body. A boundary of one of the threads of the stent structure closest to the second opening end is away from the second opening end with a predetermined distance, thereby preventing blood back flow into the false lumen via a new tear.

The present invention relates to a TIPS stent graft, comprising a tubular component having a lumen extending therethrough, the tubular component comprising a balloon expandable central section and a first and a second self-expanding section, the first and the second self-expanding section sandwiching the central section, the lumen extending through the first, central, and second sections, the stent graft being capable of selectively constricting the central section.

A medical device for dilating a target tissue includes: a first lateral portion; a second lateral portion; and a middle portion connecting the first lateral portion and the second lateral portion and disposed between the first lateral portion and the second lateral portion. The medical device has a dilate mechanism. The dilate mechanism allows the first lateral portion and the second lateral portion to be in a first dilated state when a first criterion is met, and allows the middle portion to be in a second dilated state when a second criterion is met, but does not allow the middle portion to be in the second dilated state when the first criterion is met.

In a representative embodiment, a method comprises implanting first and second inflatable bodies within an annulus of a native heart valve by securing the inflatable bodies to tissue of the native heart valve with sutures, and implanting a prosthetic heart valve between the inflatable bodies such that the prosthetic heart valve is retained within the annulus by the inflatable bodies.

An endoluminal prosthesis includes a stent-graft and a temporary aortic valve, typically combined in an integrated assembly suitable for transfemoral or other endoluminal placement in a patient's ascending aorta, aortic root, and aortic valve. The stent-graft has a base end configured to be positioned into over the patient's aortic root and over the aortic annulus. The temporary aortic valve assembly is attached to the base end of the stent-graft and comprises a scaffold configured to be anchored in the patient's aortic annulus and valve leaflets configured to function temporarily after the endoluminal prosthesis has been implanted. At least one fenestration suitable for receiving a guidewire and/or a coronary stent graft is located near a junction between the base end of the stent graft and the temporary aortic valve, wherein said at least one fenestration is disposed on the endoluminal prosthesis to be aligned with one of the patient's coronary ostia after the endoluminal prosthesis has been implanted.

A quick-connect heart valve prosthesis that can be quickly and easily implanted during a surgical procedure is provided. The heart valve includes a substantially non-expandable, non-compressible prosthetic valve and a plastically-expandable frame, thereby enabling attachment to the annulus without sutures. A small number of guide sutures may be provided for aortic valve orientation. The prosthetic valve may be a commercially available valve with a sewing ring with the frame attached thereto. The frame may expand from a conical deployment shape to a conical expanded shape, and may include web-like struts connected between axially-extending posts. A system and method for deployment includes an integrated handle shaft and balloon catheter. A valve holder is stored with the heart valve and the handle shaft easily attaches thereto to improve valve preparation steps.

Apparatus for progressively dilating the lumen of a narrow natural vessel such as an iliac artery and implanting a tubular device enabling access through the dilated lumen to conduct subsequent procedures via the dilated lumen, includes an inflatable integrated balloon locatable at least partially within the tubular device, the tubular device having a length L1 providing a self-expanding tubular body having at least a portion including stents, so that when the integrated balloon is removed the dilated lumen of the natural vessel remains dilated and supported by the tubular device.

A method for implanting a prosthesis centrally within a curved lumen includes loading a prosthesis into a delivery sheath, advancing the sheath in a patient towards the curved lumen to place at least the proximal end of the prosthesis within the curved lumen, and centering the proximal end of the prosthesis and/or the distal end of the sheath within the curved lumen. In a first advancing step, the outer catheter containing the inner sheath is advanced together towards the curved lumen to a location proximal of the curved lumen and, in a second advancing step, the inner sheath containing the prosthesis is advanced into the curved lumen to place at least the proximal end within the curved lumen while the outer catheter substantially remains at the location. After centering, the proximal end of the prosthesis is deployed centered within the curved lumen.

Expandable devices are disclosed herein. Several of the embodiments are directed towards an expandable device comprising a stent configured to be expanded within a body conduit of a human patient. The stent may comprise a tubular sidewall having first portions and second portions. Radial expansion of the stent may cause the first portions to bow outwardly and out of radial alignment with the second portions.

A prosthetic heart valve configured to replace a native heart valve and having a support frame configured to be reshaped into an expanded form in order to receive and/or support an expandable prosthetic heart valve therein is disclosed, together with methods of using same. The prosthetic heart valve may be configured to have a generally rigid and/or expansion-resistant configuration when initially implanted to replace a native valve (or other prosthetic heart valve), but to assume a generally expanded form when subjected to an outward force such as that provided by a dilation balloon or other mechanical expander. An inflow stent frame is expandable for anchoring the valve in place, and may have an outflow end that is collapsible to a limited degree for delivery and expandable post-implant to facilitate valve-in-valve (ViV) procedures. The hybrid heart valves eliminate earlier structural bands, which both reduces manufacturing time and facilitates ViV procedures.