A balloon catheter including a heating element disposed about a portion of an outer surface of a catheter shaft; a balloon mounted about the outer surface of the catheter shaft to coincide with the heating element; and thermally expandable material disposed inside the mounted balloon. The balloon catheter eliminating the need for pressurized liquid inflation media to be dispensed into/expelled from the balloon in order to inflate/deflate, respectively, the balloon.

A delivery system for an expandable prosthetic heart valve is provided. The delivery system includes an elongate inner member, a distal stop and a proximal stop both disposed on the elongate inner member. At least one of the proximal and distal stops is fixed to the elongate inner member. The delivery system also includes a flexible member disposed around the elongate inner member and having a distal end, a central region, and a proximal end, and an inflatable balloon disposed over the flexible member. The flexible member is configured such that when a heart valve is crimped onto the central region, the central region compresses and proximal and distal regions of the flexible member expand radially to prevent axial movement of the valve.

The present embodiments provide systems and methods for improved retention of stents on a delivery system. In one embodiment, a delivery system comprises a catheter and a balloon. A proximal end of the balloon is secured to an exterior surface of the catheter at a first location, and a distal end of the balloon is secured to the exterior surface of the catheter at a second location. A plurality of bands are disposed in a circumferential space situated between the exterior surface of the catheter and an interior surface of the balloon. The plurality of bands may comprise at least four bands that are discretely spaced-apart in an axial direction from one another along a length of the catheter. At least one stent is secured to the exterior surface of the balloon in a compressed delivery state.

Assembly methods for installing a valvular structure to an expandable annular frame of a prosthetic heart valve are described. The valvular structure has a multiple leaflets, each with a pair of tabs. Each tab of the leaflet has upper and lower portions. Commissures formed by paired tabs of adjacent leaflets are coupled to corresponding commissure windows to support the valvular structure within the frame. Each commissure window has upper and lower openings separated from each other by a crossbar and may have an H-shape. The upper and lower tab portions extend through the upper and lower openings, respectively, of the corresponding commissure window. One or more wedge members coupled to the tab portions can prevent the leaflet tab from passing back through the commissure window, thereby retaining the valvular structure to the annular frame.

Balloon catheters for delivery of prosthetic hear valves is provided. The balloon catheters are configured to deploy a prosthetic heart valve through inflation. The balloon catheters are further configured with one or more retention bumpers to reduce or prevent migration of the prosthetic heart valve during delivery. Balloon catheters described herein are configured with substantially incompressible retention bumpers that promote longitudinal inflation fluid flow.

Described herein are systems and methods from delivering prosthetic devices, such as prosthetic heart valves, through the body and into the heart for implantation therein. The prosthetic devices delivered with the delivery systems disclosed herein are, for example, radially expandable from a radially compressed state mounted on the delivery system to a radially expanded state for implantation using an inflatable balloon of the delivery system. Exemplary delivery routes through the body and into the heart include transfemoral routes, transapical routes, and transaortic routes, among others.

Embodiments of a balloon assembly are disclosed. The balloon assembly can include an inflatable balloon having an inflated state and a deflated state. The balloon in the deflated state can include a valve retaining portion, a distal tapered portion connected to a distal end of the valve retaining portion, a proximal tapered portion connected to a proximal end of the valve retaining portion, a distal leg connected to the distal end of the distal tapered portion, and a proximal leg connected to the proximal end of the proximal tapered portion. The distal tapered portion can include one or more axial folds. The proximal end of the distal tapered portion can include a first radial fold connected to a second radial fold, the first and second radial folds forming a pocket extending distally at the proximal end of the distal tapered portion.

Disclosed herein is an assembly including a balloon catheter as an inner catheter for the delivery of a self-expanding stent. The delivery assembly may lack a separate pusher structure. A method of using a single assembly to delivery a self-expanding stent and provide a post-dilatation step is also described herein.

A prosthetic heart valve and delivery device for delivering the prosthetic heart valve to a target implantation site, which reduce contact between the prosthetic heart valve and a delivery sheath through which the delivery device is advanced to the target implantation site, is disclosed. As one example, a prosthetic heart valve may comprise a frame including a first end with a plurality of apices spaced apart from one another around a circumference of the first end and a cover element covering the plurality of apices. The cover element may include a cushioning element or a bio-resorbable element.

A prosthetic heart valve assembly is disclosed. The said assembly includes a prosthetic heart valve (10). The said valve (10) is mounted over a balloon (5) for deployment at a target location. The dimensions of the said valve (10) mimic the anatomy of a native heart valve. The delivery catheter (100) is used for deployment of the prosthetic heart valve (10). The delivery catheter (100) includes a handle (11), a multi-layered outer shaft (1) and/or an inner shaft (3) including an inner second end (3b). A support tube (7) is disposed on top of the inner second end (3b) and includes one or more holes (7a) for passing an inflation fluid and is provided with the balloon (5) on its outer surface. One or stoppers (9) are provided on the support tube (7) and within the balloon (5) and include a first portion (C) and a second portion (D).