A method of donning a potentiating support for a hinge joint of a body includes positioning a garment proximate an area of a body; positioning an expandable and recoverable framework in abutment with the area of the body such that the framework spans a hinge joint of the body, the framework defining a plurality of permanent openings extending therethrough regardless of whether the support is donned; applying tension at points of the framework such that the framework is expanded and the framework is tensioned in its abutment with the area of the body, said step of applying tension being performed by pulling on one or more fastening components that are attached at one or more points to said framework; and affixing each of the fastening components to the garment while applying tension to the framework to secure the expanded framework in its forced abutment with the area of the body.

A kink resistant stent graft includes a graft forming a tube with a central lumen extending from a first end of the tube to a second end of the tube and a stent secured to the graft adjacent the first end of the tube. The graft includes a corrugated inner graft layer forming at least a middle portion of the tube, and an outer graft layer covering the corrugated inner graft layer.

A transcatheter dilatable valve tube prosthesis is provided including a tubular member capable of plastic deformation from a first dimension to a second dimension; a valve component having a plurality of leaflets. The valve component is capable of expansion from the first dimension to the second dimension, and the valve component is secured to an interior portion of the tubular member by an elastomeric glue at two circumferential portions defining an annular cavity therein. An expandable stent is positioned in the annular cavity between the valve component and the tubular member.

A method for endovascularly replacing a patient's heart valve including the following steps: endovascularly delivering an anchor and a replacement valve supported within the anchor to a vicinity of the heart valve in a collapsed delivery configuration, the anchor having grasping elements adapted to grasp tissue in a vicinity of the heart valve; expanding the anchor, thereby rotating the grasping elements; and grasping the tissue with the rotating grasping elements.

A peripheral vascular filter according to some aspects of the invention includes a filter body forming a cavity therein, the filter body having a proximal end and a distal end in a length-wise direction of the peripheral vascular filter, the filter body having an opening in the proximal end thereof; a spring system arranged proximal to the filter body and in mechanical connection with the filter body and with a filter wire, the spring system being stretchable along the length-wise direction; a plurality of retractor wires, each retractor wire having a distal end connected to the filter body, and a proximal end connected to spring system. In a deployed configuration, the spring system absorbs forces applied to the filter wire proximal to the filter body to prevent the peripheral vascular filter from becoming dislodged from a position in a peripheral vasculature.

A method of delivering a transcutaneous dual valve replacement (TDVR) device to a patient includes the steps of advancing a guide catheter into the heart of the patient, advancing a support wire through the guide catheter and across the mitral valve of the heart of the patient, removing the guide catheter, advancing a delivery sheath over the support wire and across both the aortic valve and the mitral valve of the heart of the patient, advancing the TDVR device over the support wire and through the delivery sheath, removing the delivery sheath, expanding a first segment of the TDVR device in the mitral valve and a second segment of the TDVR device in the aortic valve, and removing the support wire.

Elastomeric bypass grafts (EBG) described herein can be pre-stretched and are able to accommodate limb flexion-induced or organ-induced deformations without producing excessive tortuosity or stresses. In comparison to known grafts, EBGs demonstrate significantly less tortuosity when used for lower extremity repair during limb flexion, and improved flow patterns within the grafts. Longitudinally pre-stretched EBGs described herein improve hemodynamics and may produce better healing responses in the harsh mechanical environment of the lower limbs, compared to known grafts.

Disclosed in the present invention are a stent apparatus having a self-pleated skirt, a processing method therefor, a skirt pleating method, and a cardiac valve. The stent apparatus comprises a stent, and is further provided with a flexible skirt. The skirt comprises: an unfolded state, where the skirt extends axially and surrounds the periphery of the stent before release; and a stacked state, where the skirt is driven by deformation during release of the stent, and gathers and is stacked along an axial direction of the released stent to form an annular perivalvular leakage blocking part. The stent apparatus is further provided with a pull-wire which is merely threaded on the skirt, and the pull-wire may react to the radial deformation during the release of the stent to drive the skirt to enter the stacked state. According to the present invention, based on perivalvular leakage prevention technology, an interventional stent is fitted with the lining of the blood vessels, so that the stent will not easily be migrated and is more stable, the scope of the applicable population is expanded, additional surgical risks are lowered, and perivalvular leakage, thrombi and other complications are prevented. Better hemodynamic performance is provided, the coverage function of endothelial cells of the host is enhanced, the probability of occurrence of endocarditis is lowered, and the normal blood supply function of the heart and blood vessels is recovered.

A prosthetic heart valve configured to replace a native heart valve and having a support frame configured to be reshaped into an expanded form in order to receive and/or support an expandable prosthetic heart valve therein is disclosed, together with methods of using same. The prosthetic heart valve may be configured to have a generally rigid and/or expansion-resistant configuration when initially implanted to replace a native valve (or other prosthetic heart valve), but to assume a generally expanded form when subjected to an outward force such as that provided by a dilation balloon or other mechanical expander. An inflow stent frame is expandable for anchoring the valve in place, and may have an outflow end that is collapsible to a limited degree for delivery and expandable post-implant to facilitate a valve-in-valve (ViV) procedure. The hybrid heart valves eliminate earlier structural bands, which both reduces manufacturing time and facilitates a ViV procedure.

A transcatheter heart valve includes a paravalvular seal that is configured for transfemoral delivery. The valve includes a frame and the seal is formed from a plurality of outwardly extending fibers.