Chronic venous insufficiency is an advanced form of venous disease affecting more than 2.5 million patients in the United States of whom approximately 500,000 have venous leg ulcers. [1-3] A majority of these patients have an obstruction in the deep veins of the pelvis either alone or with venous valve reflux that leads to the development of chronic venous insufficiency. Such obstruction often extends for varying lengths above the groin, at times all the way up to the right atrial chamber of the heart. Pathology of such obstruction could be narrowing of the aforementioned veins or could be a complete blockage (occlusion). Such treatment involves use of stent to open up the obstruction going from an area of good venous blood inflow to an area of good venous blood outflow.

The present invention relates to a novel medical connecting device and medical devices comprising at least one such medical connecting device as well as its use in medical prostheses.

A device for improving the function of a heart valve comprises a first loop-shaped support, which is configured to abut a first side of the heart valve, and a first flange unit being connected to said first loop-shaped support. The flange unit is configured to be arranged against said annulus when said first loop-shaped support is abutting said heart valve.

An ophthalmic implant including an intraocular lens (IOL) and at least one drug delivery device. The IOL including an anterior side, a posterior side, a lens, and at least one haptic extending outwardly from the lens and including a first haptic extending from the lens at a first optic-haptic junction. The at least one drug delivery device including a first drug delivery device including a pad and a fixation portion extending from the pad. The pad including at least one therapeutic agent contained therein, an anterior surface, a posterior surface, and a sidewall extending around the pad and between the anterior surface and the posterior surface. The drug delivery device configured for attachment to the IOL via the fixation portion. In an assembled state of the implant, the first drug delivery device is attached to the IOL and the pad overlays the first optic-haptic junction.

Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems used to deliver a prosthetic heart valve assembly. In embodiments, a prosthetic heart valve assembly, including a self-expandable support structure and a self-expanding heart valve, are advanced through the aortic arch of a patient using a delivery system. The support structure, which includes a plurality leaflet retaining arms, is at least partially expanded and positioned on or adjacent to the outflow side of the aortic valve. The prosthetic heart valve is positioned in the aortic valve. The prosthetic heart valve is expanded while it is within an interior of the support structure and while the support structure is positioned on or adjacent to the outflow side of the aortic valve, thereby causing one or more native leaflets of the aortic valve to be frictionally secured between the arms of the support structure and the expanded prosthetic heart valve.

A stent with varying porosity is described. The stent can be comprised of multiple stents attached together. A braided stent may have selected regions of increased thickness. The stent may be comprised of wires that are welded together at their ends in order to minimize vessel trauma. The stent may comprise a helically wound radiopaque wire wound through the stent.

An annuloplasty device is disclosed comprising first and second support rings being configured to be arranged as a coil in a first configuration around an axial direction, wherein the first and second support rings are configured to be arranged on opposite sides of native heart valve leaflets of a heart valve, wherein the first and second support rings are separated with a first pitch distance in the axial direction, in the first configuration, wherein the first and second support rings are configured to assume a contracted state having a second pitch distance in the axial direction being shorter than the first pitch distance, and wherein the first and second support rings are configured to be transferable between the first configuration and the contracted state to pinch the heart valve leaflets. A method of repairing a defective heart valve is also disclosed.

According to an aspect, an inflatable penile prosthesis includes a fluid reservoir configured to hold fluid, an inflatable member, and a pump assembly configured to transfer the fluid between the fluid reservoir and the inflatable member. The pump assembly includes a valve body, a pump bulb, and a deflation mode actuator. The valve body includes a bi-directional valve configured to move from an inflation position to a deflation position in response to an activation of the deflation mode actuator. The bi-directional valve in the inflation position is configured to open a fluid passageway in the valve body to transfer fluid from the pump bulb to the inflatable member. The bi-directional valve in the deflation position is configured to open a fluid passageway in the valve body to transfer fluid from the inflatable member to the fluid reservoir that bypasses the pump bulb.

An implant includes a primary structural element, and two clips coupled to the primary structural element, on opposite lateral sides of the primary structural element from each other, each of the clips having a first clip element and a second clip element. The implant is transluminally advanced to a heart valve of a subject. The implant is coupled to leaflets of the valve (i) by, for each of the clips, closing the clip around a central part of a respective leaflet of the valve by causing deflection between the first clip element and the second clip element, thereby sandwiching the central part of the respective leaflet between the first clip element and the second clip element, and (ii) such that the leaflets form a double orifice configuration, with the primary structural element disposed between the central parts of the leaflets. Other embodiments are also described.

A method includes advancing a delivery assembly through a patient's vasculature toward a native heart valve of the patient, wherein the delivery assembly comprises a first catheter assembly and a second catheter assembly extending through a shaft of the first catheter assembly, and wherein a support member is in an uncoiled, elongated configuration within a sheath of the first catheter assembly. The support member is deployed from the sheath by pushing the second catheter assembly distally relative to the first catheter assembly so that the support member is uncovered by the sheath and the support member extends around native chordae tendineae and/or native leaflets of the native heart valve. A prosthetic valve is implanted within the native leaflets of the native heart valve such that the native chordae tendineae and/or native leaflets are frictionally engaged between the support member and the prosthetic valve.