A tubular shaped elongated catheter device assembly with a distal and a proximal end, comprising an intraluminal distal segment and an extraluminal proximal segment, comprising one or more chemical and/or biological agents, for interaction with bodily fluids of luminal organs, wherein the intraluminal segment comprises at least one expandable cross-sectional area which in its expanded state is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the luminal target site and wherein at least the expandable portion of the intraluminal segment is capable of interacting with at least one component of the bodily fluid via an interactive contact surface.

A knitted stent and a knitted stent system are disclosed, the knitted stent system comprising the knitted stent, a knitted stent (100) is formed by spirally coiling a knitted wire about an axis in an interlaced manner. The knitted wire includes at least one elastic metal tube (110), each elastic metal tube (110) defining a first lumen and having a wall in which release holes (111) in communication with the first lumen are formed. The first lumen can serve as a drug receptacle. A drug can be filled in the receptacle and released from the release holes (111). In this way, the knitted stent (100) can be used as a base of a drug-loaded stent, thus solving the problem of poor geometric compliance and fatigue resistance arising from the use of conventional drug-loaded stents.

Inflatable medical devices and methods for making and using the same are disclosed. The devices can be medical invasive balloons, such as those used for transcutaneous heart valve implantation, such as balloons used for transcatheter aortic-valve implantation. The balloons can have high strength, fiber-reinforced walls.

A removable blood clot filter includes a number of locator members and anchor members disposed radially and extending angularly downward from a hub. The locator members include a number of linear portions having distinct axes configured to place a tip portion approximately parallel to the walls of a blood vessel when implanted to apply sufficient force to the vessel walls to position the filter near the vessel centerline. The anchor members each include a hook configured to penetrate the vessel wall to prevent longitudinal movement due to blood flow. The hooks may have a cross section sized to allow for a larger radius of curvature under strain so that the filter can be removed without damaging the vessel wall.

Expandable docking stations for docking an expandable valve can include a valve seat, one or more sealing portions, and/or one or more retaining portions. The valve seat can include radiopaque markers affixed to a frame or an impermeable member. The radiopaque markers can indicate a deployment location of the valve. The docking stations can be deployed from a catheter including one or more radiopaque markers. Relative positioning of two or more radiopaque markers can provide an indication of the amount of deployment of the docking station.

A stent system is provided comprising a primary stent for location in a lumen of a target vessel, such as a vein or artery that may be fully or partially occluded. The primary stent contacts a vessel wall and at least one secondary stent element is deployed wholly within the primary stent and configured to engage with the interior surface of the primary stent. The secondary stent element is configured to apply a chronic outward radial force to the interior surface of the primary stent so as to effect modification of or to resist change to an aspect ratio of the lumen of the target vessel at the location where the secondary stent element is deployed. In this way the secondary stent element cooperates with the primary stent to restore patency to the target vessel. Various configurations of the stent system are provided as well as deployment devices and methods of treating fully or partially occluded vessels.

A device for treating a diseased native valve in a patient is provided, the device including a frame structure and a plurality of leaflets. The device can further include a spiral anchor configured to extend around an outer circumference of the frame structure. The anchor can be configured to deliver a contrast agent into or near a target tissue. Other embodiments and methods of use are also provided.

The fusion device for fusing a synovial joint of a human or animal patient, in particular a human facet joint, finger joint or toe joint, includes two pin-shaped anchorage portions and arranged therebetween a stabilization portion. The anchorage portions include a thermoplastic material which is liquefiable by mechanical vibration. The stabilization portion preferably has a surface which is equipped for enhancing osseointegration. The anchorage portions have a greater thickness and a greater depth than the stabilization portion. Then the fusion device is pushed between the articular surfaces and mechanical vibration, in particular ultrasonic vibration, is applied to the proximal face of the fusion device. Thereby the liquefiable material is liquefied where in contact with the bone tissue and penetrates into the bone tissue, where after re-solidification it constitutes a positive fit connection between the fusion device and the bone tissue.

A prosthetic implant with improved properties, suitable for implantation to the human body, comprising a composite comprising a base material and a plurality of additives, wherein the additives are selected from radiolucent additives and/or hyperechoic additives; or wherein the additives are selected to reduce the solvent concentration by between 5%-95%; or wherein the additives are selected to increase the elastic modulus by more than 20%; or wherein the additives are selected for combining these effects.

This disclosure presents various embodiments of a transforaminal intersomatic cage for an intervertebral fusion graft, and an instrument and method for implanting the cage, an embodiment of the cage having a body in the shape of a circular arc and comprising a lateral concave surface, a lateral convex surface, a straight upper surface, a straight lower surface and an end wall having at least one hole, called the end hole, designed to receive a rod of an instrument for implanting the cage between the vertebrae, wherein: the end hole has an orientation that is more or less tangential to the circular arc described by the body; the extremity opposite to the end wall of the body includes a return part extending the body toward the center of the circle on which the circular arc described by the body lies.