The present invention relates to a stent graft, comprising: a hollow stent graft body having a lumen extending from one end of the stent graft body to the respective other end of the stent graft body, an expandable reservoir provided on an interior of the stent graft body, the expandable reservoir being covered with a separation layer on a side of the expandable reservoir facing the lumen, the expandable reservoir being arranged so as to swell when exposed to blood, the separation layer being arranged to prevent the expandable reservoir from being exposed to blood flowing through the lumen, the separation layer being arranged so that it can selectively expose the expandable reservoir to blood to cause the expandable reservoir to swell.

A ring-shaped cushion for a hearing protector or audio headset. The cushion has a circumferential contact pad for sealing on a wearer's head and an attachment for sealing with an earmuff. The cushion further has a sound insulation tube that inwardly defines an inner space. The sound insulation tube extends between the contact pad and the attachment. The cushion has a ventilation passage that extends entirely through the cushion between an inlet opening in the contact pad and an area outside of the inner space. The cushion may further include one or more physiological sensors to monitor the health of a wearer.

A method for providing blood flow across a surface of a mitral stent-valve frame. A portion of the stent-valve frame is placed into the left atrium and into the left ventricle with a securement band located intermediate that is attached to either the annulus or to a second support frame that is placed initially and above the mitral annulus without affecting native leaflet function. Portions of the frame above the securement band allow blood flow radially inwards to reduce stagnation regions in the atrium or outwards below the securement band to help cleanse native leaflets.

Clot engagement element comprising bundle of unwoven fibers can be assembled to form an acute stroke treatment device. The device has the capability of forming a three dimensional filtration matrix comprising effective pores with a distribution of sizes. The bundle of fiber design allows the device to be effectively delivered into circuitous cerebral arteries to remove clot that causes stroke. The fiber bundle based filtration matrix offers the advantages of conforming to the changing inner perimeter of a blood vessel during a clot removal process and thus the capability to effectively retain and remove a clot in the vessel. The filtration matrix offers the additional advantage to trap any break-off of the clot during the removal process. A plurality of fiber bundles can be combined to form an effective clot engagement element. Supplemental engagement structure as well as mechanical treatment structure can be integrated into the stroke treatment device. The deployment of the fiber based elements can be facilitated by actuation tool. Aspiration can be employed during the clot removal process.

This application relates to methods, systems, and apparatus for replacing native heart valves with prosthetic heart valves and treating valvular insufficiency. In a representative embodiment, a support frame configured to be implanted in a heart valve comprises a main body formed by formed by a plurality of inner members forming an inner clover and a plurality of outer members forming an outer clover. The support frame can include gaps located between inner members of the plurality of inner members and outer members of the plurality of outer members. The inner clover can be radially inside the outer clover, and the outer clover can have larger dimensions than the inner clover. The support frames herein can be radially expandable and collapsible.

An intervertebral prosthesis for insertion between adjacent vertebrae includes upper and lower prosthesis plates locatable against respective vertebrae and having opposing concavely curved recesses therein, and a core located between the plates. The core has opposed, convexly curved surfaces received in the recesses of the plates to allow the plates to slide in articulated manner over the core. The opposed surfaces of the core and the recesses of the plates have cooperating spherical curvatures. The recess of each plate surrounds a locating peg projecting centrally from the base of the recess and is bounded by an annular rim, such that the annular rims of the plates are arranged to contact one another at a predetermined limit of sliding movement of the plates over the core. The peg locates loosely in an opening located centrally in a curved surface of the core, whereby the plates can slide over the core in all directions while the peg holds the core captive.

A medical device may include an implantable device for treating a body tissue structure. The implantable device may include a wire structure which may include a wave pattern. The wire structure may be elastic so as to provide a pressure around the body tissue structure such that the pressure may change with movement of the body tissue structure.

Apparatus for endovascularly replacing a patient's heart valve, including: a replacement valve adapted to be delivered endovascularly to a vicinity of the heart valve; an expandable anchor adapted to be delivered endovascularly to the vicinity of the heart valve; and a lock mechanism configured to maintain a minimum amount of anchor expansion. The invention also includes a method for endovascularly replacing a patient's heart valve. In some embodiments the method includes the steps of: endovascularly delivering a replacement valve and an expandable anchor to a vicinity of the heart valve; expanding the anchor to a deployed configuration; and locking the anchor in the deployed configuration.

A method of repairing a defective heart valve is disclosed including directing an implant delivery catheter to form a first curve of the implant delivery catheter around chordae of the heart valve on a ventricular side of the heart valve, inserting the implant delivery catheter through the heart valve to an atrial side thereof, forming a second curve of the delivery catheter along an annulus of the heart valve on the atrial side, and ejecting an annuloplasty implant from the delivery catheter while retracting the delivery catheter such that the annuloplasty implant is arranged along the first and second curve on the ventricular and atrial side.

A method for affixing a fundus portion of the stomach of a human patient to the patient's esophagus is disclosed. The method comprises folding the fundus portion towards the esophagus such that the fundus portion rests against the esophagus, from the angle of His and upwards along the esophagus, and affixing the fundus portion to the esophagus by means of fasteners arranged along a first line and a second line. The first line and the second line extend along the esophagus and are arranged such that a distance between the first line and the second line increases with an increasing distance from the angle of His. The method can be used for invaginating a movement restriction device by the fundus, a position between the diaphragm and the cardiac sphincter to hinder the cardia from sliding through the diaphragm opening into the patient's thorax.