A crimping method that crimps a stent over multiple catheters. The method includes differentially crimping a stent on certain portions of a balloon catheter so that a second catheter can be threaded through the uncrimped portion of the stent and exit through the links of a conventional stent design or through a specific hole in the stent designed for a branched vessel.

A rod (508) is transfemorally advanceable to the heart. An implant (460) comprises (i) a first frame (462), compressed around a first longitudinal site of a distal portion of the rod, (ii) a second frame (464), compressed around a third longitudinal site of the distal portion, (iii) a valve member (50), disposed within the second frame, and (iv) a flexible sheet (466), coupling the first frame to the second frame, and disposed around a second longitudinal site of the distal portion, the second longitudinal site being between the first longitudinal site and the third longitudinal site. An extracorporeal controller (569) is coupled to a proximal portion of the rod, and is operably coupled to the distal portion of the rod. Operating the controller bends the distal portion of the rod causing articulation between the frames. Other embodiments are also described.

Methods for crimping a stent on an expandable member of a delivery catheter, and devices and methods for treating a bifurcation are disclosed. A method for crimping includes positioning a stent having a first portion and a second portion over the expandable member, and non-uniformly crimping the stent to the expandable member. The method can include routing an elongate shaft under the second portion of the stent and through the side hole so as to be routed external to the first portion. The stent second portion can be crimped so that the elongate shaft can be slidably disposed relative to the stent second portion prior to deployment of the stent.

A system for treating a bifurcation includes first and second delivery catheters, each having an expandable member. A stent having a side hole is disposed on the second delivery catheter. A portion of the first delivery catheter is disposed under a portion of the stent. The first delivery catheter is slidable relative to the second delivery catheter, and the first delivery catheter passes through the side hole. Expansion of the first expandable member expands a portion of the stent and expansion of the second expandable member expands the rest of the stent.

A device may provide a fluid connection between fluid vessels, such as between an inferior vena cava and an abdominal aorta. The device may include a conduit structure for deployment in a first fluid vessel or a shunt structure for deployment within a passage between the first fluid vessel and a second fluid vessel that is adjacent to the first fluid vessel. The conduit structure may include a narrowed section to which the shunt structure is secured and in fluid connection therewith.

A biodegradable stent prosthesis formed from a degradable material, having a plurality of luminal, abluminal, and side surface regions, wherein a surface portion extending between the abluminal and luminal surface region of at least some structural elements is convex.

A system for treating a bifurcation includes first and second delivery catheters, each having an expandable member. A stent having a side hole is disposed on the second delivery catheter. A portion of the first delivery catheter is disposed under a portion of the stent. The first delivery catheter is slidable relative to the second delivery catheter, and the first delivery catheter passes through the side hole. Expansion of the first expandable member expands a proximal portion of the stent in a main branch vessel, and expansion of the second expandable member expands a distal portion of the stent in a side branch vessel.

Prosthetic heart valve devices and associated methods for percutaneous or transcatheter heart valve replacement are disclosed herein. A heart valve prosthesis configured in accordance herewith includes a frame having a valve support and a plurality of support arms extending therefrom. The plurality of support arms may include a main support arm configured to extend from the valve support for capturing at least a portion of a valve leaflet of a native heart valve therebetween when the valve prosthesis is in an expanded configuration and deployed within the native heart valve. In addition, the plurality of support arms may include multiple supplemental support arms disposed about the circumference of the valve support that when deployed in the expanded configuration are configured to at least partially engage subannular tissue at the native heart valve.

Implants or systems of implants and methods apply a selected force vector or a selected combination of force vectors within or across the left atrium, which allow mitral valve leaflets to better coapt. The implants or systems of implants and methods make possible rapid deployment, facile endovascular delivery, and full intra-atrial adjustability and retrievability years after implant. The implants or systems of implants and methods also make use of strong fluoroscopic landmarks. The implants or systems of implants and methods make use of an adjustable implant and a fixed length implant. The implants or systems of implants and methods may also utilise an adjustable bridge stop to secure the implant, and the methods of implantation employ various tools.

An example medical device for treating a body lumen is disclosed. The medical device includes an expandable scaffold including first and second regions, each of the first and second regions include a plurality of interstices located therein. The medical device also includes a covering spanning each of the plurality of interstices of the first region. The second region is free of the covering. A biodegradable gripping material is disposed on an outer surface of the covering. Further, the expandable scaffold is configured to shift from a collapsed state to an expanded state and the second region is configured to contact an inner surface of the body lumen in the expanded state. Additionally, the gripping material is designed to initially prevent migration of the expandable scaffold upon implantation in the body lumen until the second region is secured to the inner surface of the body lumen.