The present disclosure relates to a tricuspid regurgitation surgical instrument having a position-fixing tube that is for temporarily treating tricuspid regurgitation, and more particularly, to a tricuspid regurgitation surgical instrument having a position-fixing tube that is a surgical instrument temporarily inserted into an orifice of the tricuspid valve to check whether right-sided heart failure has occurred, which may occur when tricuspid regurgitation is treated using a permanent method in a patient with tricuspid regurgitation, and that has a position-fixing tube inserted into a coronary sinus so that a blocking part configured to block the orifice of the tricuspid valve penetrates a plane similar to a plane of leaflets of the tricuspid valve and has a penetration angle which allows the blocking part to efficiently block the orifice of the tricuspid valve.

An intra-annular mounting frame for an aortic valve having native aortic cusps is provided which includes a frame body with native leaflet reorienting curvatures and interconnecting points; the curvatures shaped to be received inside the valve below the native aortic cusps and to reorient the native aortic cusps within the aortic valve, where each of the curvatures extends concavely upward from a reference latitudinal plane tangential to each curvature's base.

Compositions and methods for testing BHV for performance or longevity are provided.

A prosthetic heart valve configured to replace a native heart valve and for post-implant expansion and having a valve-type indicator thereon visible from outside the body post-implant. The indicator communicates information about the valve, such as the size or orifice diameter of the valve, and/or that the valve has the capacity for post-implant expansion. The indicator can be an alphanumeric symbol or other symbol or combination of symbols that represent information about the characteristics of the valve such as the valve size. The capacity for post-implant expansion facilitates a valve-in-valve procedure, where the valve-type indicator conveys information to the surgeon about whether the implanted valve is suitable for the procedure and informs the choice of the secondary valve.

Apparatus (20) for testing a prosthetic leaflet (10) includes a bar (22); a light source (24); a detector (26); an actuator (40); a gauge (28); a display (82); and circuitry (84). The leaflet is draped over the bar. The light source emits a beam of light (32). The detector detects the beam, and generates a detection-signal indicative of detection of the beam. Actuation of the actuator moves the bar with respect to the beam. The gauge measures an elevation of the bar above the beam, the elevation changing with the moving of the bar by the actuator. The circuitry is configured: (i) to receive the measured elevation from the gauge, (ii) to receive the detection-signal from the detector, and (iii) in response to the detection-signal, to drive the display to display the elevation that was measured when the detection-signal was received by the circuitry.

Systems, dies, and methods are provided for processing pericardial tissue. The method includes positioning a die-cut assembly over the pericardial tissue, the die-cut assembly including a die having a plate, a die pattern, and an opening, the die pattern attached to the plate, the opening formed in the plate to provide access to the pericardial tissue, and measuring a thickness of the tissue through the opening. The die-cut assembly may be mounted for automated vertical movement, and a platen on which the tissue is placed is capable of automated horizontal movement. Different target areas on the tissue can be assessed by measuring the thickness through the die, and when an area is deemed suitable the die pattern cuts a shape therefrom. The system is useful for cutting uniform thickness heart valve leaflets, and can be automated to speed up the process.

A prosthetic valve leaflet is placed across a bar, and the bar is positioned such that the leaflet drapes over the bar and blocks a beam of light emitted by a light source. While the leaflet remains draped over the bar, the bar is elevated at least until the leaflet stops blocking the beam. An elevation of the bar from the beam at which the leaflet stopped blocking the beam is identified. Other embodiments are also described.

A method of using a computer processor for grouping prosthetic valve leaflets of an aggregate of prosthetic valve leaflets is provided. For each leaflet of the aggregate, in response to an image parameter of the leaflet, a leaflet-flexibility value is derived. At least some of the leaflets of the aggregate are designated into leaflet groups, based on similarity between the respective leaflet-flexibility value of each leaflet of the aggregate. For each of the designated leaflet groups, the flexibility value of each leaflet in the designated leaflet group is within the intra-group tolerance with respect to the leaflet-flexibility value of each other leaflet in the designated leaflet group. An indication of the designated leaflet groups is outputted. Other embodiments are also described.

An implantable device adapted for assisting the flow of blood from a left atrium to a descending aorta of an in-vivo heart is provided. The implantable device includes an inlet cannula adapted to be connected to the left atrium and an outlet cannula adapted to be connected to the descending aorta. In one embodiment, the inlet and outlet cannula is in fluid communication with a blood pressure pump. The implantable device further includes a first accelerometer mounted on a housing of the blood pressure pump, wherein the first accelerometer is adapted for measuring mitral valve motion. The implantable device also includes an implanted controller in electrical communication with at least one implanted ECG sensor adapted for detecting ECG signals, wherein the at least one implanted ECG sensor is positioned between the blood pressure pump and the implanted controller and the implanted controller also includes a processor adapted to analyse detected ECG signals and the mitral valve motion. In one embodiment, the processor dynamically adjusts the target blood pressure pump speed based on ECG signals and mitral valve motion such that the blood flows from left atrium to both left ventricle and descending aorta.

A sensor system has a first tag including a first communication circuit, and a second tag including a second communication circuit. The first tag is operative to initiate a first wireless transmission for reception by the second tag, the wireless transmission pertaining to a measurement effected by the first tag or the second tag. The second tag is operative to wirelessly communicate data representing the measurement to a reader device.