There is described an arteriovenous fistula stent, having a tubular body comprising a series of sinusoidal shaped struts along the length of the tubular body. A plurality of curvilinear connectors extend between and are attached to adjacent struts wherein a first end of a connector is attached to a distal face of a proximal strut apex and a second end of a connector is attached to a proximal face of a distal strut apex. A pair of unconnected strut apexes are between pairs of connected apexes. When the tubular body is in a stowed configuration a proximal aperture and a distal aperture are circular and when the tubular body is in a deployed configuration the distal aperture is oblong or ovoid. There is also described a method for inserting a stent for use in creation of an arteriovenous fistula by identifying a candidate artery and a candidate vein and dissecting the candidate vein. Next, inserting a stent into the vein and creating a breach in the candidate artery at a desired angle and location. Next, introducing the stent and vein into the candidate artery and forming the stent into a curvature angle selected to minimize turbulent blood flow in an anastomosis formed by the vein and the artery. Optionally, there is a step of fastening a distal portion of the stent to the artery.

Examples of a stent are provided with interlocking joints removably coupling adjacent axial stent segments. Mating elements forming the interlocking joints maintain engagement when the stent is in the radially compressed configuration, for example, during tracking of the stent to a treatment site of a body vessel, and become disengaged during radial expansion of the stent. When disengaged, the disconnected the axial stent segments remain discrete stent structures separated from one another along the point of treatment.

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.

An arterial anchor device and a venous anchor device operably coupled by graft material to form an anastomotic convector is provided. The arterial anchor device comprises a generally tubular main body including a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end defining a plurality of flanges integrally formed with the tubular main body and being movable from a first loaded position to a second expanded position. The venous anchor device includes a tubular main body having a metal frame structure and including a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end including a plurality of barbs thereon wherein said distal end has an outer diameter greater than the proximal end. The arterial anchor device and venous devices are fluidly connected by a graft to form an anastomotic connector.

This disclosure relates to a stent for use in vascular interventions, the stent comprising a first portion for placing in a first lumen and a second portion for placing in a region of a branch point at which the first lumen branches off a second lumen, the second portion comprising one or more rings linked by second links to the first portion and, if the second portion comprises two or more rings, together. The first and second portions are configured to be different to facilitate controlled longitudinal deformation of the second portion.

A stent/graft assembly includes a tubular graft connected in substantially end-to-end relationship with a generally tubular stent. Free ends of the stent and graft extend in opposite directions from the end-to-end connection during a pre-deployment orientation of the assembly. However, the graft is inverted during deployment so that free ends of the graft and the stent extend in substantially the same direction from the end-to-end connection in a post-deployment orientation. Thus, at least a portion of the stent is disposed within at least a portion of the graft in a post-deployment orientation of the assembly.

Apparatus and methods are described for use with a blood vessel of a subject. An annular antenna is placed inside the blood vessel such that radial expansion of the antenna is limited by a circumference of the blood vessel. A transmitter generates an inductive current in the antenna, by transmitting RF energy toward the antenna. A control unit measures the inductive current in the antenna, and, in response thereto, determines a physiological parameter of the subject. Other applications are also described.

A percutaneous transluminal angioplasty device includes a catheter defining one or more lumens. A filter is coupled to the catheter adjacent a distal end of the catheter, and the filter is movable between an unexpanded and expanded configuration via a filter activation wire that extends through a lumen. An expandable balloon is coupled to the catheter proximally of the filter, and a stent is disposed over at least a portion of the balloon. To deploy the stent to a target site, the filter is first moved into its expanded position via the filter activation wire. Then, the stent is expanded, and the balloon is inflated to expand the stent further radially. The balloon is then deflated, the filter is contracted, and the catheter, balloon, and filter are removed from the body.

A bidirectional twistable stent is disclosed. The stent comprises a cylinder-shaped stent body having a plurality of axially arranged rows of struts encircling a central lumen and a plurality of flex connectors that connect at least two adjacent rows of struts in such a manner that allows the stent to be twisted clockwise or counter clockwise without causing deformation of any struts in the stent body. Also disclosed are the method of making the stent, method of using the stent, and a kit containing the stent.

A stent incorporating flexible, preferably polymeric, connecting elements into the stent wherein these elements connect adjacent, spaced-apart stent elements. Preferably the spaced-apart adjacent stent elements are the result of forming the stent from a helically wound serpentine wire having space provided between adjacent windings. Other stent forms such as multiple, individual spaced-apart ring-shaped or interconnected stent elements may also be used. The connecting elements are typically web-shaped and result from creating slits or apertures in a covering of graft material applied to the stent and then, for example, applying heat to cause the slits or apertures to enlarge. The remaining graft material forms the interconnecting webs between the adjacent stent elements.