An implantable medical device that is fabricated from materials that present a blood or body fluid or tissue contact surface that has controlled heterogeneities in material constitution. An endoluminal stent-graft and web-stent that is made of a monolithic material formed into differentiated regions defining structural members and web regions extending across interstitial spaces between the structural members. The endoluminal stent-graft is characterized by having controlled heterogeneities at the blood flow surface of the stent.

An improved fastener comprising a fastener body orientated about a central axis and having a tool-engaging portion, a threaded fastening portion and a shroud-receiving portion having an inwardly facing annular groove orientated transverse to the central axis; a shroud concentrically mounted on the shroud-receiving portion to rotate relative to the fastener body under an applied external torque and having an axially-buckled radially-extending annular protrusion extending outwardly transverse to the central axis and disposed in the inwardly facing annular groove of the shroud-receiving portion of the body; the axially-buckled radially-extending annular protrusion of the shroud and the annular groove of the shroud-receiving portion of the body forming a shroud-retaining element restraining the shroud from movement in at least a first axial direction along the central axis.

Floorboards which have a core and a surface layer and are provided with decorative joint edges which are formed by removing the surface layer. A method for making a floorboard, or a floor element that is to be divided into at least two floorboards, the method including making a core from a sheet shaped material, from which a part of a locking system for vertical locking of the floorboards is to be formed, impregnating and/or staining the core surface with a substance at least in portions which in the completed floorboard will constitute a joint edge of the completed floorboard, and arranging an surface layer on the core surface.

A self-aligning swaging punch is provided for adjoining together a pin and a workpiece having a pinhole. The swaging punch comprises a shaft and a tip having an open-ended cavity. The shaft transfers an axial force from a press or hammer to the tip. The tip transfers the axial force from the shaft to a top surface of the workpiece near the pinhole. The tip may be spherical in shape for evenly deforming the workpiece near the upper edge of the pinhole. The open-ended cavity receives the pin therein and allows the pin to extend at least partially into the open-ended cavity while the tip contacts the workpiece. The open-ended cavity also ensures that the swaging punch is aligned with the pinhole and perpendicular to the surface of the workpiece when the pin is inserted into the pinhole such that the workpiece evenly deforms and presses against the pin.

A duct making apparatus includes a first station configured to accept a formable sheet material and a second station configured to receive the formable sheet material from the first station. The first station includes a mechanism for forming one of a male lock bend and a female lock seam in a leading edge of the formable sheet material. The second station includes a retractable conveyor. Movement of the sheet material from the first station to the second station defines an axis of travel of the sheet material. The retractable conveyor is selectively movable from a first position in which the retractable conveyor is in close association with the first station, and a second position in which the retractable conveyor is spaced from the first station.

An improved fastener comprising a fastener body orientated about a central axis and having a tool-engaging portion, a threaded fastening portion and a shroud-receiving portion; a shroud concentrically mounted in the shroud-receiving portion to rotate relative to the fastener body under an applied external torque and having an outwardly extending annular shoulder; the shroud-receiving portion comprising an inwardly deformed stop radially overlapping the outwardly extending annular shoulder of the shroud; and the deformed stop of the shroud-receiving portion and the annular shoulder of the shroud forming a shroud-retaining element restraining the shroud from movement in at least a first axial direction along the central axis.

A duct making apparatus includes a first station configured to accept a formable sheet material and a second station configured to receive the formable sheet material from the first station. The first station includes a mechanism for forming one of a male lock bend and a female lock seam in a leading edge of the formable sheet material. The second station includes a retractable conveyor. Movement of the sheet material from the first station to the second station defines an axis of travel of the sheet material. The retractable conveyor is selectively movable from a first position in which the retractable conveyor is in close association with the first station, and a second position in which the retractable conveyor is spaced from the first station.

Disclosed is a method for making a decorative groove between joint edges on a laminate floorboard. The floorboard includes an upper layer and an underlying layer. The method involves fixing the floorboard between at least one chain and at least one band, displacing the floorboard relative to a milling machine, and removing at least a part of the upper layer, so that a surface of the underlying layer is uncovered, by a tool that performs machining between the at least one chain. The surface of the underlying layer defines at least a portion of a visible width of the decorative groove.

A method of assembling a prosthetic heart valve includes providing a collapsible and expandable stent having an annulus section and an aortic section. The annulus section has a first diameter in a relaxed condition and a second diameter less than the first diameter in a collapsed condition. A constraint is applied to the stent to constrain the annulus section to a predetermined diameter between the first and second diameters. Applying a cuff and/or a plurality of leaflets to the stent in the constrained condition enables less material to be used. The resultant prosthetic valve is therefore able to be collapsed to a smaller diameter for introduction into a patient.

An improved fastener comprising a fastener body orientated about a central axis and having a tool-engaging portion, a threaded fastening portion and a shroud-receiving portion; a shroud concentrically mounted in the shroud-receiving portion to rotate relative to the fastener body under an applied external torque and having an outwardly extending annular shoulder; the shroud-receiving portion comprising an inwardly deformed stop radially overlapping the outwardly extending annular shoulder of the shroud; and the deformed stop of the shroud-receiving portion and the annular shoulder of the shroud forming a shroud-retaining element restraining the shroud from movement in at least a first axial direction along the central axis.