A prosthetic heart valve can include an outer support assembly, an inner valve assembly, which define between them an annular space, and a pocket closure that bounds the annular space to form a pocket in which thrombus can be formed and retained. Alternatively, or additionally, the outer support assembly and the inner valve assembly can be coupled at the ventricle ends of the outer support assembly and the inner valve assembly, with the outer support assembly being relatively more compliant in hoop compression in a central, annulus portion than at the ventricle end, so that the prosthetic valve can seat securely in the annulus while imposing minimal loads on the inner valve assembly that could degrade the performance of the valve leaflets.

A prosthetic heart valve can include an outer frame coupled to an inner frame such that the outer frame can be moved between a first position and a second position in which the outer frame is inverted relative to the inner frame. The inner frame and the outer frame define between them an annular space, and a pocket closure can bound the annular space to form a pocket in which thrombus can form and be retained. The pocket closure can include a stretchable pocket covering that can move from a first position in which the pocket covering has a first length when the outer frame is in the first position relative to the inner frame and a second position in which the pocket covering has a second length greater than the first length when the outer frame is in the second position relative to the inner frame.

An implant includes a frame comprising a tubular body formed by a plurality of interconnected struts that are manufactured to reduce stresses and strains resulting from component interaction during chronic use. At least a portion of a longitudinal corner of one or more struts of the frame may be chamfered, rounded, or otherwise modified to distribute stresses experienced at the strut corner throughout the strut body. Chamfering and/or rounding corners along at least a portion of a strut of the frame may reduce stresses on the frame caused by interactions between the frame and other components of the implant. The implant may be manufactured by cutting (e.g., laser cutting) a plurality of struts from a tubular metal alloy, polymer, or the like forming the tubular body, and softening at least a portion of an edge of the strut by cutting, grinding, and/or micro-blasting the edges of the corner.

Prosthetic heart valves described herein can be deployed using a transcatheter delivery system and technique to interface and anchor in cooperation with the anatomical structures of a native heart valve. Some embodiments of prosthetic valves described herein include an anchor portion that couples to the anatomy near a native valve, and a valve portion that is mateable with the anchor portion. In some such embodiments, the anchor portion and/or the deployment system includes one or more prosthetic elements that temporarily augment or replace the sealing function of the native valve leaflets.

A device for artificial cardiac valve support, the device including an upstream portion designed to expand to have at least one dimension wider than a native heart valve annulus, a downstream portion attached to the upstream portion, the downstream portion also designed to expand to have at least a portion with at least one dimension wider than a native heart valve annulus, and a plurality of artificial valve commissure posts. A method for producing a device for artificial cardiac valve support, the method including producing an upstream portion, producing a downstream portion, and attaching the upstream portion to the downstream portion, producing a frame for artificial cardiac valve support. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Soft tissue grafts, packaged soft tissue grafts, and methods of making and using soft tissue grafts are disclosed. One soft tissue graft includes processed tissue material having first and second opposed surfaces. The first and second opposed surfaces are bounded by first and second edges. The first edge has a concave shape that curves toward the second edge. The second edge has a convex shape that curves away from the first edge. The first surface comprises a plurality of apertures. At least one of the apertures is formed from a multi-directional separation in the first surface. One method of making a soft tissue graft includes positioning a cutting die on a surface of tissue material, pressing the cutting die into the tissue material to cut the tissue material, and processing the cut tissue material to create processed tissue material.

A stent having a main linear strut and at least two secondary struts. The main linear strut includes an outer member and an inner member. A distal end of one secondary strut may be attached to a distal end of the inner member. A proximal end of a secondary strut may be attached to a proximal end of the outer member. The ends of the secondary struts that are not attached to the inner and outer member may be joined. Methods of delivering such a stent and collapsing and withdrawing such a stent are also disclosed.

An allogeneic or xenogeneic implant for intervertebral disc replacement includes a body. The body may include one or both of a plurality of grooves or tubular apertures. The body may be formed of partially decalcified bone. The plurality of tubular apertures may be defined within the body and be positioned to allow inflow of decalcifying solutions for rapid and uniform decalcification. After partial decalcification, the body may be pliable and compressible.

An endovascular graft, which is configured to conform to the morphology of a vessel to be treated, includes a tubular ePTFE structure; an inflatable ePTFE structure disposed over at least a portion of the ePTFE tubular structure; and an injection port in fluid communication with the inflatable ePTFE structure for inflation of the inflatable ePTFE structure with an inflation medium. The inflatable ePTFE structure may be longitudinally disposed over the tubular ePTFE structure. The ePTFE structure may be a bifurcated structure having first and second bifurcated tubular structures, where the inflatable ePTFE structure is disposed over at least a portion of the first and second bifurcated tubular structures.

This invention relates to the design and function of a compressible valve replacement prosthesis, collared or uncollared, which can be deployed into a beating heart without extracorporeal circulation using a transcatheter delivery system. The design as discussed focuses on the deployment of a device via a minimally invasive fashion and by way of example considers a minimally invasive surgical procedure preferably utilizing the intercostal or subxyphoid space for valve introduction. In order to accomplish this, the valve is formed in such a manner that it can be compressed to fit within a delivery system and secondarily ejected from the delivery system into the annulus of a target valve such as a mitral valve or tricuspid valve.