Medtronic, Inc.

Medtronics, Inc.

Carolyn C Majkrzak

Timothy R Ryan

Janice Lynn Shay

Charles P Tabor

Carol Elsa Eberhardt

Melissa R Young

Timothy G Laske

Matthew Rust

Eliot F Bloom

Michael Gloss

Matthew W Weston

Timothy D Groen

Marc A Anderson

Mark Casley

Evelyn Birmingham

Billie J Millwee

Deirdre Bridget McGowan Smyth

Tara S Kupumbati

Arin N Holecek

Behrooz Nadian

Maria Awad

David L Kulcinski

Kshitija P Garde

Benjamin Wong

Melissa Denton

Eric Richardson

Maria Botrous

Cynthia H Chiu

Thao M Nguyen

Roger Lee

Stella Kim

Matthew Weston

A system includes a medical device for implanting in a valve of a subject, the implantable medical device having a self-expanding frame; and a holder configured to retain the frame of the implantable medical device in a constricted configuration and to control expansion of the frame. The holder has a controllably constrictable and expandable loop, wherein the loop is disposed about at least a portion of the self-expanding frame such that constriction or expansion of the first loop controls constriction or expansion of the frame.

Valve delivery tool

A stented valve including a stent structure including a generally tubular body portion having a first end, a second end, an interior area, a longitudinal axis, and a plurality of vertical wires extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis around a periphery of the body portion, wherein the plurality of vertical wires includes multiple commissure wires and at least one structural wire positioned between adjacent commissure wires, and a plurality of V-shaped wire structures having a first end, a second end, and a peak between the first and second ends, wherein a first end of each V-shaped structure extends from a first vertical wire and a second end of each V-shaped structure extends from a second vertical wire that is adjacent to the first vertical wire, wherein each V-shaped structure is oriented so that its peak is facing in the same direction relative to the first and second ends of the body portion, and a valve structure including a plurality of leaflets attached to the stent structure within the tubular body portion.

Stents for prosthetic heart valves

A delivery system for an implantable stented device having a handle with a plurality of actuation members, each actuation member connected to one or more stent attachment elements, a sheath having a proximal end attached to the handle, and a plurality of tubes extending within the sheath. The stent attachment elements extend from distal ends of the tubes. A first actuation member is configured to move a first stent attachment element proximally toward the handle and a second actuation member is configured to move a second stent attachment element proximally toward the handle, sequentially releasing specific portions of the stented device by causing distal ends of the stent attachment elements to contact an exterior of the distal ends of the tubes, thereby disengaging the first and second stent attachment elements from the stented device.

Delivery systems and methods of implantation for prosthetic heart valves

Stent for prosthetic heart valves

A valve prosthesis includes an expandable frame. The expandable frame has an outflow portion and an inflow portion connected to the outflow portion. The frame defines a central lumen extending between the outflow portion and the inflow portion. The frame is generally cylindrical in a fully expanded configuration. When the frame is in the fully expanded configuration, an outer surface of the inflow portion is concave. The inflow portion has an upper inflow portion and a lower inflow portion. When the frame is in the fully expanded configuration, the upper inflow portion flares outwardly from the central lumen of the frame to greater extent than the lower inflow portion.

Prosthetic valves and associated appartuses, systems and methods

The invention relates to a system for testing heart valve leaflets. The system includes a leaflet support assembly with a support post for receiving and supporting a leaflet to be tested, the post being disposed in a target region of the support assembly. The system also has a transmitter assembly that includes a light source and is configured and arranged to direct light from the light source onto the target region. The system further includes a receiver assembly that has an image sensor configured and arranged to sense an image of the target region and generate image information indicative of the sensed image, such as leaflet droop.

Droop tester apparatus and method

A multi-leaflet valve, which includes at least two leaflets, an outer tube, and a seam protector for each seam. Each seam protector is positioned to be in contact with a portion of the outer tube, with tube portions and leaflet ends being positioned between adjacent seam protection pieces. The seam protectors provide a lower stress surface about which the leaflets can bend or flex during their opening and closing. The seam protectors may include an enlarged end portion with an extending straight surface, an inverted U-shaped structure, or a sinusoidal-shaped structure, for example. The valve can further be provided with a seam cover or protector that is stitched onto the seam allowance of the layers of one or more of the seams. The seams can be provided with one or more inserts to fill spaces between adjacent tissue layers and create tension in certain material sheets.

Tissue attachment devices and methods for prosthetic heart valves

A delivery system with sequential release mechanism and method of delivering and deploying an implantable stented device into a body lumen including a tabular body, a plurality of activation members extending from the distal end of the tubular body, and a plurality of disks. Each disk includes a proximal and distal surface, at least one stent engagement element attached to the distal surface of the disk and at least one aperture. At least one activation member attaches to the proximal surface of a first disk and at least one activation member passes through an aperture of the first disk and attaches to the proximal surface of a second disk. At least one stent engagement element attached to the distal surface of the first disk passes through an aperture of the second disk. Axially movement of the activation members causes sequential release of the stent engagement elements from a stented device.

A method of forming a leaflet of a prosthetic valve includes placing a first piece of material on a working surface. A leaflet mold is placed on the first piece of material, and provides a outer peripheral shape comprising a curved portion. A second piece of material is placed over the first piece and the leaflet mold. The first and second pieces of material are stitched to one another along at least a portion of the curved portion of the leaflet mold. The leaflet mold is removed from first and second pieces of material.

Prosthetic heart valve, prosthetic heart valve assembly and method for making same

A method of assembling a prosthetic valve using sheets of material, such as pericardium material, polymer or bioengineered film, or other material. The method provides an accurate and repeatable system of making pericardial valves in which sheets or pieces of material are held securely in place relative to each other throughout the steps of assembling the valve. In addition, methods of the present invention include maintaining consistent alignment of the fixtures and pericardium material throughout the valve assembly process and utilize features that make the tooling components easy to assemble and handle. Certain aspects of the invention can be used to help establish a repeatable sewing and cutting technique for creating a pattern shape for valve leaflets, establishing stitch lengths, and determining the exact placement of stitches.

Methods and apparatuses for assembly of a pericardial prosthetic heart valve

Growing community of inventors

San Clemente, CA, United States of America

Carolyn C Majkrzak