A method for implanting a replacement heart valve within a diseased valve includes accessing a patient's heart by piercing a myocardium, advancing a guidewire into the patient's heart, and installing an access device in a wall of the heart. The access device preferably has at least one valve mechanism. A valve delivery device is advanced over the guidewire and through the access device. The valve delivery device has a replacement heart valve disposed along a distal end portion thereof. The replacement heart valve preferably includes an outer support structure and a leaflet valve disposed within the outer support structure. The replacement heart valve is radially expanded within the diseased valve. During implantation, the outer support structure conforms to a diameter of the diseased valve and the leaflet valve expands to a fixed size having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the diseased valve.

A catheter assembly includes a catheter body with a catheter-body lumen and an embolic protection device. The catheter body is sized for endoluminal advancement of a distal end portion of the catheter assembly from a puncture site at a human dorsalis pedis artery toward one or more larger arteries. The embolic protection device is configured with a collapsed state and a deployed state. The embolic protection device assumes the collapsed state while stowed in the catheter-body lumen at the distal end portion of the catheter assembly. The embolic protection device assumes the deployed state while outside the catheter-body lumen. The deployed state of the embolic protection device is configured with an opening away from the catheter body for capturing emboli dislodged from an arterial lesion while at a distal end of the arterial lesion.

A filter device is capable of reliably capturing emboli and air bubbles and reliably removing the captured emboli out of the body. The filter device includes: a first tube; a second tube protruding from the first tube; a filter arranged such that the distal end side of the filter in the longitudinal direction forms an opening; a ring fixed to the opening; first wires protruding from the distal end side of the first tube in the longitudinal direction thereof; and second wires protruding from holes in the first tube and fixed to the ring; wherein the opening can be opened and closed in the form of a bag when the proximal end side of the filter in the longitudinal direction is defined as the bottom, and the opening can be closed by pulling the second tube towards the proximal end side in the longitudinal direction.

A flow diversion device for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms and other medical conditions is disclosed. The flow diversion device may include a generally tubular wire stent frame formed from a plurality of zig-zag shaped wire elements that are coupled together. The device further includes a base layer of graft material coupled to the wire stent frame and surrounding at least a portion thereof, the wire stent frame maintaining the base layer in an open condition. In some embodiments, the base layer may be formed of porous graft material having a plurality of slits formed in the longitudinal direction. The slits may have a different shape in a compressed configuration and an expanded configuration. The slits provide a passageway for a small blood flow to maintain the long-term patency of important small side branches, while also reducing blood flow to the aneurysm to promote occlusion and avoid potential rupture.

Methods and apparatus for a percutaneous retrograde endovascular filter and embolectomy/thrombectomy device (RET-D) according to various aspects of the present technology include a constraining sleeve housing a deployable filter and a set of closure struts positioned at the end of a flexible tube. The RET-D is deployed into a target vessel in retrograde fashion through a conventional hemostasis sheath such that the open end of the filter engages the antegrade flow of blood. The closure struts are configured to prevent loss of filtered debris when the filter is closed according to where the closure struts are positioned relative to an end of the constraining sleeve.

Devices, systems and methods for filtering embolic particles that may be generated from a medical procedure including protection of the major branching vessels from the aorta, and catches and filters emboli that may be generated during the TAVR procedure. The filter devices disclosed herein form an improved seal against the vessel wall that is activated by flowing blood. Devices described herein also allow for the closing of the ends of the filter device after capture of emboli, providing further security against accidental loss of emboli post capture.

A catheter assembly that includes a catheter, a heart valve procedure device positioned at a distal end of the catheter, and an embolic protection device positioned on the catheter proximal of the heart valve procedure device. The embolic protection device is movable between a stowed position and a deployed position.

A tethered vena cava filter configured for temporary prophylaxis of pulmonary embolism.

Configurations are described for assisting in the execution of a percutaneous procedure while protecting the vascular pathway to the operational theater, which may comprise diseased tissue. A railed sheath may be controllably expandable and collapsible, and may comprise two or more elongate rail structures configured to assist in the distribution of loads to associated diseased tissue structures, while also contributing to the deployment of percutaneous tools by maintaining alignment of such tools with the railed catheter and associated anatomy.

A method for deploying a medical device such as a heart valve to a desired location in a blood vessel comprising first deploying a tubular filter adjacent to at least one tributary vessel location with a filter deployment member, disengaging said deployment member and removing it, inserting an expandable sheath into the blood vessel, passing a medical device through said sheath to deploy its removing said sheath and removing said filter.