A stent delivery method includes: forming through-holes in an alimentary canal wall and a cyst wall so as to communicate with each other; passing a stent through the through-holes and placing a first expandable part in the alimentary canal and a second expandable part in the cyst; allowing the first expandable part to expand to an expanded state in the alimentary canal; and, after the expansion of the first expandable part, allowing the second expandable part to expand in the cyst while the alimentary canal wall is pressed by the first expandable part in the expanded state.

A stent delivery system includes a self expanding stent positioned about a distal support segment of a catheter, which includes a proximal segment. A constraint has a wrapped configuration, which has a hollow elongated shape, and an unwrapped configuration, which is a continuous length of a strip. The stent is in contact with, and held in a compressed state by, the constraint in the wrapped configuration, and the stent is in an expanded state out of contact with the constraint in the unwrapped configuration. The constraint may move from the wrapped configuration toward the unwrapped configuration responsive to tension in a control line connected to one end of the strip.

Stent delivery device includes an inner member having a distal tip, a stent disposed over a stent receiving region of the inner member, an outer sheath slidable over the inner member, a stent sheath removably coupled to both the distal tip and a distal end of the outer sheath, and a stent expanding element attached to the distal tip and/or the distal end of the outer sheath. The stent expanding element is biased in an elevated position and aids expansion of the stent when the stent sheath is removed. The stent delivery device includes a proximal junction removably coupling the distal end of the outer sheath to the stent sheath, and a proximal junction removably coupling the stent sheath to the distal tip. Each of the proximal and distal junctions are separately actuatable to decouple the stent sheath from either the distal tip or the outer sheath.

A delivery device for a prosthetic heart valve includes a catheter assembly and an operating handle. The catheter assembly may include an inner shaft around which a compartment for the heart valve is defined, and a distal sheath having proximal and distal segments configured to enclose the compartment. The handle may include a first lead screw coupled to the proximal segment and a second lead screw coupled to the distal segment. Actuation of the first lead screw operates to move the proximal segment of the distal sheath proximally and actuation of the second lead screw operates to move the distal segment of the distal sheath distally to uncover the compartment and deploy the heart valve.

Methods for delivering a pulmonary or mitral valve prosthesis using a transcatheter approach are provided. The implantation devices can utilize movable claspers for both positioning and anchoring the valve prostheses within the native cardiac valve, minimizing the extent of imaging necessary.

An endoprosthesis delivery system includes an expandable endoprosthesis including a side branch portal, a first primary sleeve releasably constraining a proximal portion of the expandable endoprosthesis to a collapsed configuration, a second primary sleeve in parallel with the first primary sleeve, the second primary sleeve releasably constraining a distal portion of the expandable endoprosthesis to the collapsed configuration, and a secondary sleeve within the first primary sleeve. Upon release of the first primary sleeve, the secondary sleeve releasably constrains the proximal portion of the expandable endoprosthesis to a partially expanded configuration allowing access to the side branch portal via the partially expanded proximal portion of the expandable endoprosthesis.

Described herein are flexible implantable occluding devices that can, for example, navigate the tortuous vessels of the neurovasculature. The occluding devices can also conform to the shape of the tortuous vessels of the vasculature. In some embodiments, the occluding devices can direct blood flow within a vessel away from an aneurysm or limit blood flow to the aneurysm. Some embodiments describe methods and apparatus for adjusting, along a length of the device, the porosity of the occluding device. In some embodiments, the occluding devices allows adequate blood flow to be provided to adjacent structures such that those structures, whether they are branch vessels or oxygen-demanding tissues, are not deprived of the necessary blood flow.

Valve prostheses, implantation devices, and methods for use are provided. The devices may be used for transcatheter delivery of an aortic valve prosthesis or transapical delivery of a mitral valve prosthesis. The implantation device can utilize movable claspers for both positioning and anchoring the valve prosthesis, reducing the extent of imaging needed during the implantation procedure.

An implantable device delivery system is disclosed. The delivery system includes a constraining member situated between an interior layer and an exterior layer of a cover. The interior layer of the cover is disposed about an implantable medical device, and the exterior layer of the cover extends over a portion of the interior layer. The cover is generally tapered to minimize deployment forces. The constraining member is disposed about a portion of the interior layer and operates to constrain the implantable device to a delivery configuration. The cover and the constraining member are generally configured to be removed concurrently during deployment of the implantable device.

A delivery system (200) for delivering a lumen stent (100). The delivery system (200) comprises a fixing anchor (270) and a fixing cap (260) which is cylindrical and has an opening at a proximal end, the fixing anchor (270) comprising a hollow insertion part (271) and an abutment part (273) connected to the insertion part (271); parts of the side surface of the insertion part (271) are recessed towards the interior of the insertion part (271) to form a plurality of positioning grooves (2711) that extend to a proximal end surface of the insertion part (271), a separator (2713) being formed between every adjacent two positioning grooves (2711); the abutment part (273) comprises a carrier (2731) and a plurality of first position-limiting pieces (2733) provided on a side of the carrier (2731), a distal end of each first position-limiting piece (2733) being provided to correspond to an open side of a positioning groove (2711) adjacent to the abutment part (273); distal end surfaces of the plurality of first position-limiting pieces (2733), a distal end surface of the carrier (2731) and proximal end surfaces of the separators (2713) are coplanar. When the fixing anchor (270) and the fixing cap (260) are joined, the insertion part (271) is inserted into the fixing cap (260), and the distal end surfaces of the first position-limiting pieces (2733) abut the proximal end surface of the fixing cap (260). Further disclosed is a lumen stent system. The delivery system (200) can be smoothly and safely withdrawn out of the human body.