Other

Mansfield Scientific, Inc.

Brice Letac

Alain Cribier

Rodney G Wolff

Creg W Dance

John P Ariola, Jr

A cylindrical shaped stent to prevent arterial acute closure and subsequent restenosis formed of longitudinal wires of biocompatible metal. The wires are welded together in pairs at alternate ends with each pair of wires bent into a V-section. The wires are all formed into a cylinder welded closed to form the stent. The stent is compressed and loaded into an outer catheter by a special tool. The stent is positioned and released for self expansion in situ by an inner catheter. A guide wire through both assists in threading the catheters through blood vessels.

Compressive stent and delivery system

Dilatation procedures and catheter instrument for treating patients having acquired aortic stenosis, typically in which there are calcific deposits on the leaflets of the aortic valve. A dilatation balloon introduced into the stenosed aortic valve via the aorta while the blood circulation of the patient is maintained by the heart via the aortic valve, is inflated to grossly deflect the leaflets of the valve in a manner avoiding blocking the outer portions of the commissures of the valve. This inflating step enables substantial flow of blood through the outer portions of the commissures during systole despite the presence in the valve of the large inflated balloon. By prolonging the inflation for at least 30 seconds, over a large multiplicity of heart beats the calcific deposits are disturbed to increase the pliability of the leaflets and the degree of their opening, in an action found not to produce emboli. The catheter instrument incorporates means for measuring the pressure gradient across the valve and has features facilitating introduction, retention of position during inflation, withdrawal and re-crossing of the valve to achieve progressive enlargement of the aortic valve.

Growing community of inventors

Rouen, France

Brice Letac