A recirculation system for recirculating intestinal content within an intestinal tract of a subject including a recirculation pathway extending from a distal portion of the intestinal tract to a proximal portion of the intestinal tract forming a recirculation loop for recirculating the intestinal content through the proximal portion of the intestinal tract to increase nutrient absorption from the intestinal content. A bypass pathway in fluid communication with the recirculation pathway and configured to divert the intestinal content from the recirculation pathway to continue along the intestinal tract.

The invention is a gauge for the reconstruction of a cusp of an aortic valve, with the gauge (10) being made from a material that can be deformed in a plastic fashion using manual force.

A color-coded bioprosthetic valve system having a valve with an annular sewing ring, and a valve holder system with a holder sutured to the ring of the valve, a post operatively connected to the holder, and an adapter sutured to the post and having a color associated with the valve model and/or size. For example, the adapter may be blue to indicate that the valve of the system is a mitral valve of a particular type and/or size. The system may also include a flex handle that is configured to engage with the adapter. The handle has a color associated with the adapter such that a user is able to visually determine that the handle color matches the valve model. For example, the handle may have a grip that is colored blue to match the blue color of the adapter. Accordingly, the color-coded system enables users to confirm easily that the correct accessories such as the sizer or flex handle are being used with the correct valve.

The present teachings provide devices and methods of locating a mitral valve commissure, and implanting tissue anchors at or near the mitral valve commissure. Specifically, one aspect of the present teachings provides devices and methods for locating a mitral valve commissure percutaneously and allowing a guide wire to be placed across a mitral annulus at the mitral valve commissure. Another aspect of the present teachings provides methods for deploying a tissue anchor across a mitral annulus at a mitral valve commissure, including near the P1 or P3 regions of the posterior mitral annulus. Another aspect of the present teachings further provides methods of plicating a mitral annulus between two or more tissue anchors.

Methods for generating aortic heart valve leaflets are disclosed wherein the aortic sinus surfaces (the inner surfaces of the sinuses of Valsalva) are used as a template to generate geometric representations of replacement aortic heart valve leaflets. As such, sinus-matched replacement leaflets can be sized and shaped according to the patient-specific geometry of the aortic root. Patient-specific aortic valve assemblies based on aortic root and sinus geometry are also described. Methods for estimating the coaptation area of a sinus-matched valve and assessing whether the valve is functionally competent for implantation are described.

An orifice-expanding device for measuring an expanded heart valve. The device includes a proximal handle having a shaft and an orifice-expanding device with a hub mounted to a distal end of the shaft and a plurality of arms evenly spaced around the axis and connected to the hub and extending therefrom in a distal direction to distal ends of the arms. The distal end of each arm has an expanding portion with an outer surface, the expanding portions being configured to move radially outward with respect to each other, wherein expansion of the expanding portions causes the distal ends of the arms to flex outward. A pressure-measuring device measures a pressure applied to the aortic valve annulus, and a size-measuring device measures a dimension of the aortic valve annulus after the annulus has been expanded.

A delivery system and method for delivery of an annuloplasty implant for a patient are disclosed. The delivery system comprises a commissure locator device for locating a commissure, comprising; an extension member, a catheter, and wherein the extension member is extendable relative the catheter for location of at least one commissure of a cardiac valve, and a coronary sinus contractor for temporary insertion into the coronary sinus (CS) and having a displacement unit being temporarily transferable to an activated state in Which the shape of the annulus Of the heart valve is modified to a modified shape to be retained by said annuloplasty implant.

A device for measuring heart valve for sizing a heart valve reinforcement ring, includes a first handle having a first shaft an outer ring coupled to the first shaft, wherein the outer ring has an inner surface; and an inner ring having an outer surface, wherein the inner ring is removably couplable to the outer ring. The inner surface of the outer ring and the outer surface of the inner ring further have reciprocal mating surfaces configured and arranged to grip sutures therebetween when coupled together. The device may further have a second handle with a second shaft connected to the inner ring. Alternatively, the first handle may have a second shaft that is connected to a second outer ring.

A method for treating a human patient includes emitting ultrasound energy from an ultrasound transducer positioned remotely from target tissue of the patient. The ultrasound transducer is positioned at a desired location relative to the patient and target tissue using location and imaging techniques. The method further includes focusing the ultrasound energy such that one or more focal points are directed to the target tissue of the patient and ablating the target tissue at each focal point. The target tissue is ablated via the focused ultrasound energy without ablating non-target tissue through which the ultrasound energy passes between the ultrasound transducer and the one or more focal points.

A catheter for positioning a valve during a transcatheter aortic valve replacement is formed from a resilient hollow body conformable to a guide wire when a guide wire is passed in through an upper opening in the hollow body and through the hollow body. When the guide wire is retracted, the catheter deploys to form a substantially straight upper shaft portion that extends downwardly from the upper opening and a distal ring perpendicular to the upper shaft portion. The distal ring approximates the size and shape of the patient's aortic valve annulus. An outer surface of the distal ring is radiopaque, and the distal ring comprises openings for dispersing radio opaque medium used in imaging. The deployed catheter is retracted until it snugly contacts the aortic valve annulus. The distal ring will be viewed as a straight line when the x-ray C-arm is properly aligned with the aortic valve annulus.