Prosthetic valves and methods of implanting prosthetic valves may be provided, including an expandable prosthetic valve for implantation within a native heart valve. The prosthetic valve may include an annular valve body and atrial anchoring arms configured to extend radially outward from the annular valve body. Each atrial anchoring arm may have a proximal arm end and a distal arm end. The flexibility of at least one atrial anchoring arm may vary substantially from the proximal arm end thereof to the distal arm end thereof. The prosthetic valve may also include a plurality of ventricular anchoring legs configured to extend radially outward from the annular valve body. Each ventricular anchoring leg may have a proximal leg end and a distal leg end. Each ventricular anchoring leg may have a substantially constant flexibility from the proximal leg end to the distal leg end.

Prosthetic valves and methods of implanting prosthetic valves may be provided, including a prosthetic valve for implantation within a native heart valve. The prosthetic valve may include an annular valve body, a plurality of atrial anchoring arms, and a plurality of ventricular anchoring legs. The arms and legs may extend radially outward from the annular valve body and may each include a native valve tissue engaging portion. The arms may be angularly offset from the legs, with the tissue engaging portion of each arm and each leg arranged such that when the arms and legs are positioned on opposing sides of native heart valve tissue, the native heart valve tissue may assume a serpentine arrangement between the arms and the legs.

A prosthetic valve for implantation within a native heart valve may be provided. The prosthetic valve may include an annular outer frame having a plurality of ventricular anchoring legs extending therefrom, as well as an inner frame having a plurality of atrial anchoring arms extending therefrom. A portion of each ventricular anchoring leg may be configured to overlap with a portion of each atrial anchoring arm in a common lateral plane. As a result, a prosthetic valve with a reduced axial length may be provided.

A prosthetic valve configured for implantation within a native valve may be provided. The prosthetic valve may include an expandable valve body having an inner lumen extending along a longitudinal axis of the valve body. The prosthetic valve may additionally include a plurality of ventricular tissue anchors configured to extend from the valve body to ventricular anchor distal ends, as well as a plurality of atrial tissue anchors configured to extend from the valve body to atrial anchor distal ends. Each atrial tissue anchor may include a rigid portion, and a flexible portion situated between a distal end of the rigid portion and the atrial anchor distal end. The ventricular anchor distal end of a ventricular tissue anchor and the distal end of the rigid portion of an atrial tissue anchor may be configured to be equidistant from the longitudinal axis of the valve body.

A heart valve delivery system may be provided. The heart valve delivery system may include at least a first catheter movable relative to second and third catheters, arranged in a telescoping configuration. The second catheter may be movable relative to and extend from the distal end of the third catheter. The delivery system may include a first adjustable flexure radius associated with the second catheter, and a second flexure radius. The delivery system may include at one control handle assembly configured to permit the catheters to rotate together, independently adjust the first and second flexure radii, cause relative axial movement between the catheters, and permit the ejector to cause relative movement between a heart valve and a capsule connected to the first catheter.

A prosthetic valve delivery system may be provided. The prosthetic valve delivery system may include a first catheter and a first steering mechanism configured to bend the first catheter within a first steering plane. The prosthetic valve delivery system may also include a second catheter coaxially arranged within the first catheter and a second steering mechanism configured to bend the second catheter within a second steering plane, different from the first steering plane. Moreover, the prosthetic valve delivery system may include a capsule positioned distal to both the first catheter and the second catheter. The capsule may be configured to retain a prosthetic valve therein during transvascular advancement of the capsule.

Apparatus for delivering stents to body lumens include one or more tubular prostheses carried at the distal end of a catheter shaft, a sheath slidably disposed over the prostheses, and a guidewire tube extending from within the sheath to the exterior of the sheath through an exit port in a sidewall thereof. A guidewire extends slidably through the guidewire tube. The sheath can be moved relative to the catheter shaft and the guidewire tube to expose the prostheses for deployment. Methods of delivering stents are also provided.

The disclosure relates to voice prosthesis device that enables a laryngectomy patient to speak. The voice prosthesis device has a cylinder including a first end and a second end. An inner washer is attached to the first end and an outer washer is attached to the second end. A partial shutter is coupled to the first end of the cylinder. A shutter guard is placed at the inner part of the inner washer and is fixed to the cylinder. The device further includes plurality of rings. The partial shutter is made of platinum cured silicon and opens relatively to allow exhaled air to pass from the second end to the first end and prevents entry of food particles into the second end.

A device for placing in a cardiac valve to assist operation of natural cardiac valve leaflets, the device including a frame for anchoring the device, configured to be placed upstream of the cardiac annulus and shaped to prevent the frame from shifting downstream of the cardiac valve annulus, and at least one anchor extension attached to the frame, the anchor extension configured to extend through the leaflets of the cardiac valve at commissures of the cardiac valve and behind the natural leaflets, preventing the anchor extensions from shifting back from the downstream side of the annulus to the upstream side of the annulus. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

A system for implanting a heart valve includes a radially self-expandable tubular body having an inflow end and an outflow end and a preformed groove disposed at an outer surface of the tubular body between the inflow end and the outflow end. The preformed groove extends at least partially around the tubular body and has a circumferential opening facing radially outward of the tubular body. A valve is disposed within and is attached to the tubular body, and an elongate outer member is configured to form a loop encircling the preformed groove so as to guide portions of native valve leaflets and/or chords into the preformed groove. The outflow end of the tubular body includes a frustoconical shape that slopes radially outward from the preformed groove toward the outflow end when the outflow end but not the inflow end has been released from a delivery catheter.