A stent with a common connection interface, and a method and platform used to create a stent with a common connection interface is described. A common connection interface used to connect a stent to a pusher is described.

Some embodiments are directed to methods for serially expanding an artificial heart valve within a pediatric patient. For example, the artificial heart valve can be implanted into the pediatric patient during a first procedure, and then expanded during a second procedure to accommodate for the pediatric patient's growth. Some embodiments include introducing an expander into the implanted valve when the frame is expanded to a first working diameter, and then actuating the expander to expand the frame to a second working diameter greater than the first working diameter, to accommodate for the pediatric patient's growth.

Systems and methods for the manufacture of an hourglass shaped stent-graft assembly having an hourglass shaped stent, graft layers, and an assembly mandrel having an hourglass shaped mandrel portion. Hourglass shaped stent may have superelastic and self-expanding properties. Hourglass shaped stent may be encapsulated using hourglass shaped mandrel assembly coupled to a dilation mandrel used for depositing graft layers upon hourglass shaped mandrel assembly. Hourglass shaped mandrel assembly may have removably coupled conical portions. The stent-graft assembly may be compressed and heated to form a monolithic layer of biocompatible material. Encapsulated hourglass shaped stents may be used to treat subjects suffering from heart failure by implanting the encapsulated stent securely in the atrial septum to allow blood flow from the left atrium to the right atrium when blood pressure in the left atrium exceeds that on the right atrium. The encapsulated stents may also be used to treat pulmonary hypertension.

Methods for restoring blood flow in occluded blood vessels using an apparatus having a self-expandable distal segment that is pre-formed to assume a superimposed structure in an unconstrained condition but can be made to take on a volume-reduced form making it possible to introduce it with a microcatheter and a push wire arranged at the proximal end, with the distal segment in its superimposed structure assuming the form of a longitudinally open tube and having a mesh structure of interconnected strings or filaments or struts. In a preferred embodiment, the distal segment has a tapering structure at its proximal end where the strings or filaments or struts converge at a connection point.

A scaffold includes a radiopaque marker connected to a strut. The marker is retained within the strut by a head at one or both ends. The marker is attached to the strut by a process that includes forming a rivet from a radiopaque bead and attaching the rivet to the marker including deforming the rivet to enhance resistance to dislodgement during crimping or balloon expansion. The strut has a thickness of about 100 microns.

The invention relates to a stent for transluminal implantation into hollow organs, in particular into blood vessels, ureters, esophagi, the colon, the duodenum, the airways or the biliary tract, comprising an at least substantially tubular body that extends along a longitudinal direction and that can be converted from a compressed state having a first cross-sectional diameter into an expanded state having an enlarged second cross-sectional diameter. The stent in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the tubular body comprises an inner body and an outer body, with the outer body surrounding the inner body at least regionally, with the outer body completely running around at least one section of the inner body, and the outer body is formed from a bioresorbable material or comprises a bioresorbable material.

The present invention relates to a stent for transluminal implantation into hollow organs, in particular into blood vessels, ureters, esophagi, the colon, the duodenum, the airways or the biliary tract, comprising an at least substantially tubular body that extends along a longitudinal direction and that can be converted from a compressed state having a first cross-sectional diameter into an expanded state having an enlarged second cross-sectional diameter, wherein the stent comprises a stent body composed of a biostable material, characterized in that the stent body comprises a plurality of stent sections, preferably annular stent sections, that are in particular separate from one another, and the stent has a support structure that connects the stent sections to one another, wherein the support structure is formed from a bioresorbable material or comprises a bioresorbable material.

A stent includes a high radial/crush force segment and a highly flexible segment. In an aspect, a plurality of first ring struts connected such that each of the plurality of first rings comprises a sinusoidal pattern having a plurality of apices and troughs, each first ring connected to an adjacent first ring by at least one connector. The connector extends from a ring strut of the first ring from a position near an apex of the first ring to a ring strut of the adjacent first rings near an apex of the adjacent ring, and a second stent segment comprises a plurality of second rings connected to one another to form a series of second rings.

A stent includes a high radial/crush force segment and a highly flexible segment. In an aspect, a plurality of first ring struts connected such that each of the plurality of first rings comprises a sinusoidal pattern having a plurality of apices and troughs, each first ring connected to an adjacent first ring by at least one connector. The connector extends from a ring strut of the first ring from a position near an apex of the first ring to a ring strut of the adjacent first rings near an apex of the adjacent ring, and a second stent segment comprises a plurality of second rings connected to one another to form a series of second rings.

A medical stent may include a tubular support structure including a plurality of struts defining a plurality of cells disposed between the plurality of struts. A polymeric coating may be disposed over the tubular support structure such that a first portion of the plurality of cells are closed by the polymeric coating in a first region of the tubular support structure and a second portion of the plurality of cells in a second region of the tubular support structure remain open to fluid flow and/or tissue ingrowth therethrough. The struts in the first region of the tubular support structure and the struts in the second region of the tubular support structure may be at least partially covered by the polymeric coating.