The present embodiments provide systems and methods for treating a medical condition. In one embodiment, the system comprises a stent having proximal and distal regions, and further having a delivery state and an expanded state. A therapeutic agent is disposed on a segment of the stent. The stent is disposed around an exterior surface of a core assembly in the delivery state. A coupling assembly releasably secures the proximal region of the stent to the exterior surface of the core assembly. The coupling assembly secures the stent to the core assembly for a predetermined period while the stent is in the expanded state and during release of the therapeutic agent at a target site. The coupling assembly further enables the stent to be disengaged from the core assembly and deployed in a bodily passageway.

A method for implanting a prosthesis centrally within a curved lumen includes loading a prosthesis into a delivery sheath, advancing the sheath in a patient towards the curved lumen to place at least the proximal end of the prosthesis within the curved lumen, and centering the proximal end of the prosthesis and/or the distal end of the sheath within the curved lumen. In a first advancing step, the outer catheter containing the inner sheath is advanced together towards the curved lumen to a location proximal of the curved lumen and, in a second advancing step, the inner sheath containing the prosthesis is advanced into the curved lumen to place at least the proximal end within the curved lumen while the outer catheter substantially remains at the location. After centering, the proximal end of the prosthesis is deployed centered within the curved lumen.

The present disclosure provides a delivery device including an inner shaft assembly including an inner shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and a lumen. The inner shaft further includes a spindle connected to the distal end of the inner shaft and the spindle includes a body and a side lumen offset with respect to a central axis of the spindle. The delivery device further includes a spine wire that can slide within both the lumen of the inner shaft and the side lumen of the spindle. Additional lumens and spine wires can be provided. The disclosure further includes methods of using the delivery devices of the disclosure for delivery a stented prosthesis, for example.

Described is a delivery system for percutaneous delivery and implantation of a heart valve. The delivery system includes a handle with a sheath extending therefrom. A splay shaft extends from the handle through the sheath. At least two arms extend from the handle through the splay shaft. The at least two arms are operable for holding a heart valve. A sheath controller is housed within the handle and is operable for selectively advancing or retracting the sheath to constrain or expose a heart valve as attached with the at least two arms. A splay shaft controller is housed within the handle for allowing the user to selectively advance or retract the splay shaft to constrain or expose the at least two arms. Finally, a valve release is attached with the handle to allow a user to selectively release a heart valve as attached with the at least two arms.

An endovascular system is disclosed. The system includes deployment device and a stent-graft assembly. The stent-graft assembly includes an elongate vessel wall engaging graft portion and a proximal-end self-expanding stent comprising a plurality of terminal portions. The deployment device includes an elongate guide wire catheter adapted to be deployed over a guide wire; a tip at a proximal end of the guide wire catheter. The tip has a proximal nose and a distal receiving zone. The distal receiving zone comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart elongate recesses, each recess receiving at least one of the terminal portions. A trigger wire arrangement retaining the at least one terminal portions within each corresponding recess of the receiving zone is also provided. Retention of the terminal portions within the recess of the receiving zone constrains against relative twisting between the stent-graft assembly and the tip.

Apparatus and methods are provided for accessing body lumens and/or for delivering instruments into body lumens, e.g., vessels within a patient's vasculature. A flexible sheath is provided that is expandable from a contracted condition to an enlarged condition wherein the sheath at least partially defines a lumen therein. The sheath is lubricious and has a relatively thin wall, thereby providing a collapsible/expandable guide for delivering fluids and/or instruments through tortuous anatomy and/or into relatively narrow passages. The sheath is advanced from an entry site to a body lumen in the contracted condition. Once the sheath reaches a target body lumen, the sheath is expanded to the enlarged condition, thereby defining a lumen within the sheath, and fluids and/or instruments are introduced into the body lumen via the sheath lumen. Upon completing the procedure, the sheath is removed from the body lumen.

A method of loading a self-expanding stent into a delivery sheath configured to retain the stent in a radially compressed pre-deployment configuration, including the steps of radially compressing the stent from a relaxed outside diameter d0 to a compressed outside diameter d1, providing a loading sheath with an inner diameter d2, where d0>d2>d1, translating the stent relative to the sheath, whereby the stent is accommodated within the lumen of the loading sheath, providing a delivery sheath with an inner diameter d3, where d0>d3>d2, advancing the loading sheath, containing the stent, into the lumen of the delivery sheath, and deploying the stent into the lumen of the delivery sheath.

The present embodiments provide a stent for use in a medical procedure that comprises a series of proximal apices disposed at a proximal end of the stent and a series of distal apices disposed at a distal end of the stent. In a first embodiment, a first proximal apex comprises a bore for receiving a trigger wire, and a second proximal apex, disposed adjacent to the first proximal apex, comprises at least one barb. In an alternative embodiment, a first proximal apex comprises a first bore and a second, adjacent proximal apex comprises a second bore, such that a single trigger wire may be disposed through the first and second bores to restrain the first and second proximal apices during delivery.

The present disclosure is directed to a branched endoprosthesis comprising a graft component and at least one support component. In various embodiments, the branched endoprosthesis comprises a body portion and a plurality of leg portions, wherein the legs are in an aligned configuration for ease of cannulation. In various embodiments, at least one leg is in an open configuration for ease of cannulation. Cannulation methods are also described.

A sealable vascular endograft system for placement in a vascular defect includes a delivery catheter shaped to be disposed within a blood vessel. The delivery catheter includes an implant delivery catheter sheath defining an implant delivery catheter lumen and an endovascular implant removably disposed within the implant delivery catheter lumen in a compressed or folded state for delivery thereof to the vascular defect. The endovascular implant includes a tubular implant body and a sealable circumferential collar including a variable sealing device and a control lead traversing from the variable sealing device to a user and controlling variability of the variable sealing device by the user. The sealing device and the control lead cooperate to reversibly expand and contract the sealable circumferential collar to circumferentially adjust during deployment thereof to achieve a repositionable fluid-tight seal between the sealable circumferential collar and the internal walls proximal to the vascular defect.