Apparatus and methods are described including a docking element (20) configured to be implanted within a subject's left atrium such that no portion of the docking element (20) extends through the subject's mitral valve. The docking element (20) includes a ring (40), a frame (24) extending upwardly from the ring (40), and a radial protrusion (50) configured to extend radially outwardly from the frame, to be disposed in a vicinity of the subject's native mitral annulus, and to generate tissue ingrowth to the radial protrusion from walls of the left atrium at least in the vicinity of the subject's native mitral annulus. A bridging material (56), which is disposed between radial protrusion (50) and the ring (40), forms a seal between the radial protrusion (50) and the ring (40). Other applications are also described.

Balloon catheters, sleeves, cages, and endoluminal prostheses are provided with stress-applying and spacing features coupled to expandable surfaces thereof. The stress-applying features may have blunt and/or rounded contact regions which contact tissue or calcified regions in the vasculature. The contact regions dent or fracture occlusive material on the wall of a vascular lumen and/or patient valve leaflets when expanded. The spacing features permit blood, drug, and contrast perfusion past structures expanded in the vasculature, particularly balloon catheters.

A branch vessel stent including a stent body and a first developing member, where the first developing member includes a first developing portion and a second developing portion. A length of the first developing portion and a length of the second developing portion in an axial direction of the stent body are both not less than 0.5 mm. A distance between the intersections of the first developing portion and the second developing portion on a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the stent body gradually increases from a position where the distance is the minimum distance to an end that is away from a first end of the first developing portion or the second developing portion. The minimum distance between the intersections of the first developing portion and the second developing portion on a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the stent body is less than 2 mm.

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.

A growth stent and valve and methods for making and using the same. The growth stent and valve may be delivered to treat early stage congenital lesions, while expanding to adult vessel diameters. In selected embodiments, the growth stent and valve can comprise a frame and may have a covering on some portion to prevent blood flow through a wall of the frame. The growth stent and valve advantageously can maintain radial strength across an entire range of diameters necessary to treat a narrowed lesion from birth and childhood through adulthood as the vessels grow over the lifetime of a patient.

A vascular shunt frame with improved apposition including a main body tube; at least one end of the main body tube is provided with a sealing covering; the sealing covering is provided with a main blood flow opening; a shaping component is disposed at the edge of the main blood flow opening. When the main body stent is inserted into the main blood flow opening of the main body tube, the shaping component can be closely attached to the outer surface of the main body stent, such that the sealing covering closely fits the outer surface of the main body stent to prevent endoleaks. The present disclosure also provides a vascular stent provided with an apposition-improved vascular shunt frame.

The present disclosure relates to an intravascular stent, preparation method and use thereof, and the intravascular stent comprises a positioning segment and a supporting segment, the positioning segment comprising a plurality of first repeating elements, the supporting segment comprising at least two supporting units and at least one connecting unit, the supporting unit comprising a plurality of second repeating elements, the number of the first repeating elements differing from the number of the second repeating elements, a plane formed by front ends of the plurality of first repeating elements being vertical to or intersecting with the axis of the intravascular stent. The intravascular stent of the present disclosure is particularly suitable for iliac vein, with good supporting effect for iliac vein and less damage to venous wall, and can effectively avoid forming in-stent secondary thrombosis after intravascular stent implantation. Moreover, the intravascular stent of the present disclosure can be well positioned in the iliac vein to improve the accuracy of the release, and it is simple for operation. The vascular stent of the present disclosure has the advantages of simple structure, convenient production and low cost, and thereby has important practical significance and good prospect in clinical application.

Expandable devices are disclosed herein. Several of the embodiments are directed towards an expandable device comprising a stent configured to be expanded within a body conduit of a human patient. The stent may comprise a tubular sidewall having first portions and second portions. Radial expansion of the stent may cause the first portions to bow outwardly and out of radial alignment with the second portions.

A radially expandable, tubular stent, includes a first section having a first crush resistance force and a second section have a second crush resistance force, wherein the first crush resistance force is less than the second crush resistance force. The first section is connected to the second section to form a tube, connection of the first and second sections extending in an axial direction of the tube.

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.