St. Jude Medical Atg, Inc.

Vascular Science Inc.

Other

St. Jude Medical Cardiovascular Group, Inc.

St. Jude Medical Anastomotic Technology Group, Inc.

Daniel J Sullivan

Thomas Jerome Bachinski

David S Goldsteen

Todd Allen Berg

Paul Hindrichs

Rudy A Mazzocchi

William J Swanson

George D Sullivan

William J Sullivan

Jason A Galdonik

Mark D Wahlberg

Gregory Alan Boldenow

James W Anthony

Matthew W Baker

Methods and apparatus for delivering and installing a new length of tubing between two sections of a patient's existing body organ tubing and at least partly outside of that existing structure. For example, the new length of tubing may be for the purpose of providing the patient with a coronary bypass. The new tubing may be an artificial graft, a natural graft (harvested elsewhere from the patient), or both. The new tubing is installed at the operative site primarily by providing at least one graft location with instrumentation inserted through the patient's existing tubular body organ structure. Assistance in installing the new tubing may be provided by minimally invasive surgical access openings in the patient's chest. The tubing may be delivered through the patient's existing tubular body structure or, alternatively, through the surgical access openings.

Medical grafting methods and apparatus

A body tissue graft for use in a patient includes a frame structure made of a first elastic material, a covering of a second elastic material on the frame structure, the covering substantially filling openings in the frame structure, and a connector connected to the frame structure. Projections are secured to the connector structure. The projections facilitate attachment of the tubular graft in a patient by securing the graft to the body tissue with which the graft is employed. The connector selectively circumferentially expands and the projections selectively circumferentially expand. This may be done using an inflatable balloon to circumferentially expand the projections. A restraining member may be provided to restrain the projections in a cone shape so that an end of the graft may be used to open an aperture through a side wall of existing body organ tubing and a portion of the projections may enter the aperture.

Medical grafting connectors and fasteners

Methods and apparatus for delivering and installing a new length of tubing between two sections of a patient's existing body organ tubing and at least partly outside of that existing structure. For example, the new length of tubing may be for the purpose of providing the patient with a coronary bypass. The new tubing may be an artificial graft, a natural graft (harvested elsewhere from the patient), or both. The new tubing is delivered to and installed at the operative site primarily by working through the patient's existing tubular body organ structure. This avoids the need for any significant surgery on the patient. The artificial grafts may have shapes other than tubular. Certain procedural and apparatus aspects of the invention have uses other than in connection with grafting in general or tubular grafting in particular.

A body tissue graft for use in a patient includes a frame structure made of a first elastic material, a covering of a second elastic material on the frame structure, the covering substantially filling openings in the frame structure, and a connector connected to the frame structure. Projections are secured to the connector structure. The projections facilitate attachment of the tubular graft in a patient by securing the graft to the body tissue with which the graft is employed. The connector selectively circumferentially expands, and the projections selectively circumferentially expand. This may be done using an inflatable balloon to circumferentially expand the projections. A restraining member may be provided to restrain the projections in a cone shape so that an end of the graft may be used to open an aperture through a side wall of existing body organ tubing, and a portion of the projections may enter the aperture.

An apparatus is attachable to a conventional snowboard to convert the snowboard into a snow scooter having improved performance characteristics in comparison to those of the snowboard alone. The apparatus includes a member movable relative to the snowboard by either the hands or feet of the rider, and forces and motions applied to that member by the rider are converted by an associated motion and force transmitting mechanism into twisting motions of the rear portion of the snowboard relative to the front portion of the snowboard, allowing the scooter rider to better perform turns and other maneuvers during the riding of the scooter and also allowing the rider to ride the snow scooter without foot bindings fixing his feet to the scooter.

Snow scooter and method of using snow scooter

An apparatus is attachable to a conventional snowboard to convert the snowboard into a snow scooter having improved performance characteristics in comparison to those of the snowboard alone. The apparatus includes two handle assemblies attached to the front and rear portions of the snowboard and including respectively front and rear pole-like handles fixed to and extending upwardly from the snowboard during riding of the scooter. A rider standing on the middle portion of the snowboard and grasping the two handles can exert twisting, bowing, and other forces on the snowboard through the handles allowing him or her to ride the scooter without the use of foot bindings binding his feet to the scooter.

Two-handled snow scooter

Methods and apparatus for delivering and installing a new length of tubing between two sections of a patient's existing body organ tubing and at least partly outside of that existing structure. For example, the new length of tubing may be for the purpose of providing the patient with a coronary bypass. The new tubing may be an artificial graft, a natural graft (harvested elsewhere from the patient), or both. The new tubing is delivered to and installed at the operative site primarily by working through the patient's existing tubular body organ structure. This avoids the need for any significant surgery on the patient.

A bypass graft conduit is installed in the circulatory system of a patient using apparatus which facilitates performing most or all of the necessary work intraluminally (i.e., via lumens of the patient's circulatory system). A guide structure such as a wire is installed in the patient via circulatory system lumens so that a portion of the guide structure extends along the desired path of the bypass conduit, which bypass conduit path is outside the circulatory system as it exists prior to installation of the bypass graft. The bypass graft is then introduced into the patient along the guide structure and connected at each of its ends to the circulatory system using connectors that form fluid-tight annular openings from the bypass graft lumen into the adjacent circulatory system lumens. The guide structure is then pulled out of the patient.

Minimally invasive revascularization apparatus and methods

Methods and apparatus for making an anastomotic connection between tubular fluid conduits in a patient. A connector may provided having an annular structure configured for placement partially within one of the tubular fluid conduits and for annular enlargement by expansion of an expandable structure positioned within an interior portion of the connector. The connector may be configured for plastic annular enlargement, and have members with free end portions that are configured to penetrate a wall of the tubular fluid conduits at locations that are annularly spaced around the connection. A portion of the connector may be selectively deflected radially out from a remainder of the connector in response to expansion of the expandable structure disposed inside the connector. An axial portion of the connector may be adapted for insertion within an axial end of a first one of the tubular fluid conduits, and an axial portion of the connector may be adapted for insertion through an opening in a wall of a second one of the tubular fluid conduits.

Growing community of inventors

Medina, MN, United States of America

Daniel J Sullivan