A filter device for implantation in a gallbladder, comprising: a filter portion configured to filter gallstones of a certain minimum size to prevent them from exiting the gallbladder through an opening of the gallbladder; a blocking portion configured to push gallstones of a certain minimum size away from an opening of the gallbladder where the blocking portion is located distally from the filter portion with respect to the opening of the gallbladder; and, where the blocking portion and the filter portion do not attach to, or apply expansive radial force on, a wall of the gallbladder.

An endoprosthesis may include an expandable framework including an anchoring portion and a body portion extending axially from the anchoring portion, the body portion having a plurality of body cells; and a polymeric cover disposed on at least a portion of the expandable framework. The anchoring portion includes a first transverse flange and a second transverse flange proximate the first transverse flange, the first and second transverse flanges being configured to secure the anchoring portion at an orifice of a body lumen. The body portion includes a window through a side of the body portion, the window occupying space equivalent to at least two of the plurality of body cells. The window is devoid of the polymeric cover and any other structure within a perimeter of the window.

A medical implant is adapted to be implantable within a gallbladder in order to limit movement of any gallbladder stones present within the gallbladder. The medical implant includes a resilient body that is adapted to fit within the interior volume of the gallbladder and a plurality of pores that are formed within the resilient body. The pores are adapted to allow bile to flow through the pores.

A tissue lumen stent is provided with a body having an elongated tubular configuration and a foreshortened configuration. In the foreshortened configuration, downstream and upstream ends of the body expand radially into downstream and upstream flange structures, leaving a generally cylindrical saddle region therebetween. In some embodiments, the flange structures are non-symmetrical with respect to one another. Systems and methods of using the stents are also disclosed.

A stent delivery system for delivering a stent, the stent delivery system having a push catheter, a guide member, and an elongated stent securing material having a first portion arranged to a push catheter outer surface, a second portion, a third portion, and a fourth portion arranged to the push catheter outer surface, in that order. The first portion and the fourth portion are arranged to the push catheter outer surface such that only one of the first portion and the fourth portion is present on a cross-section plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. The stent delivery system is configured to have a secured configuration in which the guide member is arranged within a push catheter lumen and a stent lumen and through a loop formed by a section between the second portion and the third portion to secure the stent.

An implantable biliary or pancreatic stent for implanting in the gastrointestinal tract having a first end for placing in the bile duct or the pancreatic duct and a second end for placing in the duodenum, the first end including a pressure sensor arranged to measure bile duct or pancreatic duct pressure, respectively, and the second end including a pressure sensor arranged to measure duodenal pressure. Each pressure sensor can include an electronic circuit with electronic components and a substrate for receiving the electronic circuit and electronic components, wherein said substrate is a flexible membrane. The flexible membrane can be a sleeve surrounding the stent, or the flexible membrane can be a flexible tube that is part of a thin tube that forms the stent, in particular the flexible membrane can have a thickness of 80-150 μm. A manufacturing method is disclosed for providing said implantable biliary or pancreatic stent.

Drug-eluting devices and methods for the treatment of tumors of the pancreas, biliary system, gallbladder, liver, small bowel, or colon, are provided. Methods include deploying a drug-eluting device having a film which includes a mixture of a degradable polymer and a chemotherapeutic drug, wherein the film has a thickness from about 2 μm to about 1000 μm, into a tissue site and releasing a therapeutically effective amount of the chemotherapeutic drug from the film to treat the tumor, wherein the release of the therapeutically effective amount of the drug from the film is controlled by in vivo degradation of the polymer at the tissue site.

In some aspects, a surgical procedure for the removal of a prostate gland is provided. The procedure comprises: (a) positioning an implant material within the urethra, (b) removing the prostate, thereby cresting a urethral stump and a bladder neck, wherein the implant material occupies the urethral stump, the bladder neck, or both, and (c) securing the bladder neck to the urethral stump in an anastomosis procedure to establish a path of urine flow from the bladder to an external urethral opening (e.g., the meatus). Subsequently, the implant material is removed from the urethra, for example, by natural urine voiding or by flowing a removal fluid through and/or around the implant material in the urethra. In other aspects, a medical kit is provided.

A stent Includes a stent body formed by a strut. The stent body is cylindrically-shaped and extends in an axial direction. The stent body includes a plurality of helical portions and an annular portion. The strut is helically-shaped along the axial direction to form the plurality of helical portions and the strut is annularly-shaped in the circumferential direction to form the annular portion. Each of the plurality of helical portions has a distal end point and a proximal end point. The plurality of helical portions include a first helical portion and a second helical portion adjacent to the first helical portion in the axial direction. The annular portion is disposed between the first and second helical portions in the axial direction. At least one of the distal and proximal end points of the plurality of helical portions is directly connected to the annular portion.

A stent includes a strut formed into a cylindrical shape and extending in an axial direction. The strut includes outer peripheral portions extending around the axial and circumferential directions of the cylindrical shape. The outer peripheral portions are spaced apart from one another with gaps formed between adjacent outer peripheral portions. The strut includes a connection portion connecting the outer peripheral portions to each other in one of the gaps formed by the adjacent outer peripheral portions. The outer peripheral portions and the connection portion of the strut are integrally formed of a biodegradable polymer A portion of the strut includes a fragile portion which is snore fragile than other portions of the strut.