The invention relates to a medical device and a method of using it. The device is a stent which can be percutaneously deliverable with (or on) an endovascular catheter or via other surgical or other techniques and then expanded. The stent is configured to have a central portion defined by “open” cells and at least two end portions, defined by “closed” cells, spaced apart and directly connected to the distal and proximal ends of the central portion of the stent. The stent may also optionally have a covering or a lattice with openings.

A fluidic bridging tube (1), for bridging membranes in the human or animal body allowing the passage of fluid, has a proximal flange (2), an inter lumen connector (3) with a lumen (5) and a distal flange (4). The tube comprises a metal skeleton or scaffold structure (51) and a surrounding polymer which is softer than the scaffold structure. The scaffold structure (51) has a tubular mesh providing structural strength to the inter lumen connector. The tubular mesh has members (61) defining substantial rectangular mesh apertures, and distal crowns (64). At its proximal end the scaffold structure comprises spines (68) extending from a proximal tubular mesh rim (63). The spines provide structural strength to the proximal flange (2). In the preferred embodiment the tube is a tympanostomy tube. A method of manufacturing the tube comprises providing the scaffold structure and over-moulding the outer material to form the shape of the proximal flange, the inter lumen connector with a lumen, and the distal flange.

The invention discloses an auxiliary balloon structure for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), which comprises a balloon head and a balloon body. When unexpanded, the balloon body has two conical ends and a cylindrical middle part. The conical ends are defined as a front and a rear conical part. The cylindrical middle part is provided with a mastoid structure. The front and rear conical parts are made of a semi-compliant material, while the cylindrical middle part is made of a non-compliant material.

A stent 10 includes corrugated pattern bodies 11 and connection elements 12. A corrugated pattern is formed of corrugated units 14, corrugated unit 14 including a first stem 15, a second stem 16, a third stem 17, a first top portion 18 coupling a first end portion 15a of the first stem 15 and a first end portion 16a of the second stem 16, and a second top portion 19 coupling a second end portion 16b of the second stem 16 and a first end portion 17a of the third stem 17. A second end portion 17b of the third stem 17 is connected to a second end portion 15b of the first stem 15 in another corrugated unit adjacent to corrugated unit. A first end portion 12a of connection element 12 is connected to the first top portion 18 of one of adjacent ones of the corrugated units 14, and a second end portion 12b of connection element 12 is connected to the second end portion 15b of the other one of the adjacent ones of the corrugated units 14.

Some embodiments are directed to methods for serially expanding an artificial heart valve within a pediatric patient. For example, the artificial heart valve can be implanted into the pediatric patient during a first procedure, and then expanded during a second procedure to accommodate for the pediatric patient's growth. Some embodiments include introducing an expander into the implanted valve when the frame is expanded to a first working diameter, and then actuating the expander to expand the frame to a second working diameter greater than the first working diameter, to accommodate for the pediatric patient's growth.

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.

The invention relates to a medical device and a method of using it. The device is a stent which can be percutaneously deliverable with (or on) an endovascular catheter or via other surgical or other techniques and then expanded. The stent is configured to have a central portion defined by “open” cells and at least two end portions, defined by “closed” cells, spaced apart and directly connected to the distal and proximal ends of the central portion of the stent. The stent may also optionally have a covering or a lattice with openings.

Fixation device for fixation of leaflets of a heart valve, the fixation device including a central element defining a central axis. The fixation device further includes a distal portion including at least one arm coupled to the central element, wherein the at least one arm is moveable to a selected position between a fully open position and a fully closed position. The distal portion further includes at least one leg operatively coupled to the at least one arm and configured to move the at least one arm to the selected position between the fully open position and the fully closed position. The at least one arm includes a contact portion configured to engage native heart valve tissue, the contact portion defining a contact portion axis. The distal portion includes a flexure portion configured to enable the contact portion in the selected position to move within a flex angle range between an undeformed contact portion angle relative to the central axis and a flexed contact portion angle relative to the central axis. The flexed contact portion angle is greater than the undeformed contact portion angle. The flex angle range is about 10 degrees to about 45 degrees. The fixation device further includes at least one gripping element moveable relative to the at least one arm to capture a native leaflet therebetween.

Disclosed is a composite skirt for a prosthetic heart valve. A stent includes an inflow segment, a transition segment and an outflow segment; the composite skirt includes at least two of: (1) a first skirt disposed at the inflow segment, (2) a second skirt disposed at the transition segment, and (3) a third skirt disposed at the outflow segment, wherein for the composite skirt, different skirt parameters are configured according different arrangement regions to adapt to primary tissues and reduce regurgitation. A prosthetic heart valve is further disclosed. For the composite skirt of this invention, in view of different functions in different regions of the valve, the skirt parameters of different regions are set such that the skirt is matched with a structure of the stent, thereby improving the functions of the prosthetic heart valve.

A device includes a first end portion, a second end portion, an intermediate portion, and a graft material. The first end portion has a first end diameter. The second end portion has a second end diameter smaller than the first end diameter. The first end portion comprises a first material. The second end portion comprises a second material different than the first material. The intermediate portion is between the first end portion and the second end portion. The intermediate portion tapers between the first end portion and the second end portion. The graft material is coupled to at least the intermediate portion.