A shunt is described that expands to an hourglass shape. As the shunt expands, both of its ends radially flare outwards relative to its middle section and the length of the shunt foreshortens, which causes the flared ends to engage the tissue surrounding a puncture or aperture within a patient's tissue.

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.

Apparatus and methods are described, including a stent configured to be placed in a lumen. The stent includes a generally cylindrical stent body including a plurality of struts, at least one electrode post protruding from the stent body, and a plurality of antenna posts protruding longitudinally from an end of the stent body. The antenna posts are longitudinally separated from the electrode post. An antenna is disposed annularly on the antenna posts, such that the antenna posts separate the antenna from the end of the stent body, and at least one electrode is coupled to the stent by being placed on the electrode post. Additional embodiments are also described.

An implant includes a tubular discontinuous structure formed of a plurality of webs that at least partially extend in a longitudinal direction. The plurality of webs includes at least one joint element having a main web substantially extending in the longitudinal direction. There is a continuous gap in the main web. At least one bridge web is arranged next to the main web in a circumferential direction (U) and connected to the main web in the longitudinal direction (A) in front of and behind the gap.

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

Apparatus and methods are described including an aortic pressure-loss-reduction device (20) configured to be implanted inside an ascending aorta of a subject. The aortic pressure-loss-reduction device includes a frame (52) that defines an upstream anchor portion (56UF), an intermediate portion (23F) configured to define a conduit (26) therethrough, and a downstream anchor portion (56DF). Angled struts (150) are disposed between a downstream end of the upstream anchor portion (56UF) and an upstream end of the intermediate portion (23F). The angled struts (150) are configured such that, in response to a diameter of the upstream anchor portion (56UF) changing by an absolute amount, an absolute change in a diameter of the upstream end of the intermediate portion (23F) is less than the absolute amount by which the diameter of the upstream anchor portion (56 UF) changes. Other applications are also described.

A vascular stent, including a plurality of wave-shaped supporters connected in an axial direction. The tubular stent includes a proximal support mechanism, a middle support mechanism, and a differential support mechanism connected in sequence; the middle support mechanism and the distal support mechanism are respectively closed-loop structure; the proximal support mechanism includes a first support portion connected to the middle support mechanism and a second support portion provided at the proximal end of the first support portion; the first support portion is a closed-loop structure; the second support portion is an open-loop structure, and the end surface of the proximal end of the second support portion is an uneven structure to provide local support in the circumferential direction.

Apparatus and methods are described including implanting an aortic pressure-loss-reduction device in a subject's ascending aorta. While the device is inside a catheter, a distal end of the catheter is placed within the ascending aorta. A proximal covering sheath of the catheter is retracted such as to uncover at least a portion of a downstream anchor, such that the uncovered portion of the downstream anchor includes a portion of the frame that does not have material coupled thereto. Subsequently, a distal covering sheath of the catheter is advanced, such as to cause an upstream anchor to anchor an upstream end device to the subject's ascending aorta, by the upstream anchor radially expanding against an inner wall of the ascending aorta. Other applications are also described.

A system for treating a bifurcation includes first and second delivery catheters. The first catheter has a first shaft, a first expandable member adjacent the distal end of the first shaft, an auxiliary expandable member disposed under the first expandable member, and a first radially expandable stent disposed over both the first expandable member and the auxiliary expandable member. The second delivery catheter has a second shaft, and a second expandable member adjacent the distal end of the second shaft. A portion of the second catheter is disposed under a portion of the first stent, and a portion of the second delivery catheter passes through a side hole in the first stent. The first stent is crimped over the first and second catheters such that the first stent remains attached to the first and the second catheters during advancement of the catheters through a blood vessel.

A method of braiding a stent includes braiding a number of elongate filaments around a mandrel using tensioned braiding carriers without spooling the filaments to the tensioned braiding carriers to form a braided stent having atraumatic ends.