Surgical methods and tibial implants for accommodating the anterior cruciate ligament during unicompartmental or bi-unicompartmental knee arthroplasty procedures.

A stent has a circumference and a plurality of members that define a lumen. The stent has three stable states, which include an unexpanded state, a partially deployed state, and a deployed state. The lumen has a first cross-sectional shape in the unexpanded state, a second cross-sectional shape in the partially deployed state and a third cross-sectional shape in the deployed state. The first cross-sectional shape of the lumen is different from the second and third cross-sectional shapes of the lumen, and the first cross-sectional shape of the lumen is a non-round shaped cross-sectional shape.

A method for performing a corneal transplantation comprising the steps of: inserting at least part of a corneal implant into the anterior chamber of the eye, the corneal implant comprising an implant portion and a manipulating portion, the manipulating portion comprising non-endothelial tissue; positioning the implant portion of the implant to adhere to the posterior surface of the cornea using the manipulating portion.

Devices for the occlusion of body cavities, such as the embolization of vascular aneurysms and the like, and methods for making and using such devices. The devices may be comprised of novel expansile materials, novel infrastructure design, or both. The devices provided are very flexible and enable deployment with reduced or no damage to bodily tissues, conduits, cavities, etc.

Methods and systems for rotationally aligning a commissure of a prosthetic heart valve with a commissure of a native valve are disclosed. In some examples, a delivery apparatus can include a first shaft configured to rotate around a central longitudinal axis of the delivery apparatus to rotationally align a prosthetic valve mounted on the delivery apparatus with native anatomy, a second shaft extending through the first shaft and having a distal end portion extending distally beyond a distal end portion of the first shaft, an inflatable balloon coupled to the distal end portion of the first shaft, and a distal shoulder mounted on the distal end portion of the second shaft and arranged within a distal end portion of the balloon. The distal shoulder comprises a base portion and a flared portion that extends radially outward from the base portion, and a radiopaque marker is disposed on the flared portion.

Methods and systems for rotationally aligning a commissure of a prosthetic heart valve with a commissure of a native valve are disclosed. In some examples, a method can include advancing a distal end portion of an assembly toward a native heart valve, the assembly comprising a delivery apparatus and a prosthetic heart valve, and including one or more radiopaque markers, where one radiopaque marker is suspended within a cell of a frame of the prosthetic heart valve and aligned with a commissure of the prosthetic heart valve. The method further includes receiving a fluoroscopic image in a selected imaging view of the prosthetic heart valve on the delivery apparatus, determining, based on the fluoroscopic image and the one or more radiopaque markers, whether the prosthetic heart valve is in a desired rotational orientation, and rotating the assembly until the prosthetic heart valve is in the desired rotational orientation.

Methods and devices are provided for the formation of cardiac tissue constructs. In some embodiments, methods are provided for forming cardiac tissue constructs that including cardiomyocytes, non-myocytes, and extracellular matrix, and which exhibit properties associated with healthy cardiac tissue. In some embodiments, microfabrication platforms are provided to support the transmission of dynamic electromechanical forces, such that the cardiac microtissue constructs may be formed mimicking the basic microenvironment found in the heart. The microfabrication platform may include retaining features for stabilizing the position of the microtissue construct during its formation, and the microfabrication platform may include a ramped support configured to produce tissue constructs having a ring geometry. In some embodiments, the microfabrication platform may be configured to for the application of point electrical stimulation, and/or to amplify the transduction of force into a visible displacement.

Balloon covers for a delivery apparatus for a prosthetic valve are disclosed. As one embodiment, a balloon cover includes first and second shell members that are configured to matingly engage with each other, each of the first and second shell members including a first portion and a second portion, the second portion having a larger width than the first portion. The first portions of the first and second shell members define a first cavity configured to receive a distal end portion of the delivery apparatus and at least a portion of an inflatable balloon mounted on the distal end portion of the delivery apparatus. The second portions of the first and second shell members define a second cavity configured to receive a positioning device mounted on the distal end portion of the delivery apparatus, proximal to a valve mounting portion of the distal end portion of the delivery apparatus.

Methods and systems for rotationally aligning a commissure of a prosthetic heart valve with a commissure of a native valve are disclosed. In some examples, a delivery apparatus can include a first shaft configured to rotate around a central longitudinal axis of the delivery apparatus to rotationally align a prosthetic valve mounted on the delivery apparatus with native anatomy, a second shaft extending through the first shaft and having a distal end portion extending distally beyond a distal end portion of the first shaft, an inflatable balloon coupled to the distal end portion of the first shaft, and a distal shoulder mounted on the distal end portion of the second shaft and arranged within a distal end portion of the balloon. The distal shoulder comprises a base portion and a flared portion that extends radially outward from the base portion, and a radiopaque marker is disposed on the flared portion.

Methods and systems for rotationally aligning a commissure of a prosthetic heart valve with a commissure of a native valve are disclosed. In some examples, a method can comprise advancing a distal end portion of a delivery apparatus toward a native valve; visualizing under fluoroscopy and for a selected imaging view, a position of a radiopaque marker on the distal end portion relative to a guidewire extending through the delivery apparatus, the marker circumferentially offset from a selected commissure of the radially compressed prosthetic valve by a predetermined amount that is determined based on the selected imaging view; rotating the delivery apparatus until the marker is centered along the guidewire; and advancing the distal end portion into the native valve and inflating the balloon to radially expand and implant the prosthetic valve in the native valve such that the selected commissure is aligned with a commissure of the native valve.