Localmed, Inc.

Perclose, Inc.

Abbott Laboratories Corporation

Avantec Vascular Corporation

Other

Xerox Corporation

Devices for Vascular Intervention, Inc.

Enrique J Klein

Aaron V Kaplan

James R Kermode

Bernard H Andreas

James William Vetter

T Daniel Gross

Tomoaki Hinohara

Paul Alba

Philip Christopher Evard

Michael Barrett

Richard G Crystal

Jordan T Bajor

Andrew Gabor

Lewis Isbell

Brian Gore

Donald S Baim

Mark E Plaia

Mark J Foley

Mark Clifford

Ronald W Songer

Richard P Mueller

Ernest W Heflin

Paul M Goeld

Bernard A Andreas

Martin Overbeek-Bloem

Anthony P Widdershoven

Systems for suturing a tissue layer having two sides with a suture be releasably retaining at least a portion of the suture in a stationary position on one side of the tissue layer. The portion of the suture is retrieved through the tissue layer from the opposite side whereby the suture is drawn from one side to the opposite side. Systems for suturing the wall of a tubular graft having two sides is also provided using a suture by releasably retaining at least a portion of the suture on one side of the wall. the portion of the length of suture is retrieved through the wall of the graft to the opposite side of the wall.

Device and method for suturing tissue

A suture applying device comprises a shaft having a nose piece attached at its distal end. The shaft and the nose piece are separated by a transition region, and a needle entry lumen in the shaft permits a flexible needle to be introduced in the distal direction. The needle is able to cross the transition region and penetrate tissue held therein and enter into a return lumen in the nose piece. The return lumen is U-shaped and acts to bend the flexible needle as it is advanced. In this way, the needle passes from the nose piece through the transition region in a proximal direction, and is able to pass through tissue within the transition region generally on the opposite side of a tissue puncture from the first suture passage. The needle then exits from the device, permitting the suture attached to the needle to be drawn fully through the device. The suture may then be tied in order to close and seal the tissue penetration.

Device and method for suturing of internal puncture sites

The present invention provides improved prostheses and methods for their endolumenal placement within body lumens, particularly blood vessels. In one embodiment, the prosthesis of the present invention comprises a plurality of radially expansible rings having, a plurality of beams connecting axially remote points on adjacent rings, and a plurality of expansion joints connecting axially proximate points on adjacent rings. The beams maintain the remote points at a fixed distance when the prosthesis is radially expanded and the expansion joints allow for relative movement of the proximate points during delivery of the prosthesis. The combination of the beams and expansion joints minimizes the risk of injury to the body lumen during delivery of the prosthesis to a target site and provides improved tracking capabilities.

Radially expansible vessel scaffold having modified radiopacity

The present invention provides improved prostheses and methods for their endolumenal placement within body lumens, particularly blood vessels. In one embodiment, the prosthesis of the present invention consists a plurality of radially expansible rings having, a plurality of beams connecting axially remote points on adjacent rings, and a plurality of expansion joints connecting axially proximate points on adjacent rings. The beams maintain the remote points at a fixed distance when the prosthesis is radially expanded and the expansion joints allow for relative movement of the proximate points during delivery of the prosthesis. The combination of the beams and expansion joints minimizes the risk of injury to the body lumen during delivery of the prosthesis to a target site and provides improved tracking capabilities.

Radially expansible vessel scaffolds mounted over balloons

The present invention provides improved prostheses and methods for their endolumenal placement within body lumens, particularly blood vessels. In one embodiment, the prosthesis of the present invention having a plurality of radially expansible rings having, a plurality of beams connecting axially remote points on adjacent rings, and a plurality of expansion joints connecting axially proximate points on adjacent rings. The beams maintain the remote points at a fixed distance when the prosthesis is radially expanded and the expansion joints allow for relative movement of the proximate points during delivery of the prosthesis. The combination of the beams and expansion joints minimizes the risk of injury to the body lumen during delivery of the prosthesis to a target site and provides improved tracking capabilities.

Radially expansible vessel scaffold having beams and expansion joints

A radially expansible lumenal prosthesis comprises one or more body segments which include struts and hinge regions between the struts. Certain of the hinge regions are weakened relative to others so that the expansion characteristics of the prosthesis may be programmed. In particular, by distributing the weakened hinge regions circumferentially about the body segment, uniform expansion of the prosthesis can be improved, even when the prosthesis is only partially deployed.

Tubular prosthesis having improved expansion and imaging characteristics

A balloon catheter assembly (2) includes a catheter (8) having a catheter shaft (10) with a balloon (12) at its distal end. A sleeve assembly (16) has a diametrically expanding balloon enlargement sleeve (18) at its distal end sized to be positionable over the balloon when the balloon is deflated. The enlargement sleeve can expand from a relaxed condition, at which it is placed over the deflated balloon, to an expanded condition surrounding the fully inflated balloon. The enlargement sleeve is sufficiently thick when expanded for an enlarged dilatation of the vessel when the balloon is reinflated. The enlargement sleeve can be made of elastic or substantially inelastic material; it can also include a porous matrix material with a drug interspersed therein so the drug is applied topically when the vessel is redilated.

Catheter sleeve for use with a balloon catheter

The invention provides methods and devices for delivering low level radiation to inhibit neointimal hyperplasia following angioplasty or other intravascular procedures. In an exemplary method, a balloon is inflated within a stenosed region of a blood vessel to produce a treated region. The balloon is then deflated and a radioactive source within a sleeve is aligned over the deflated balloon. The balloon is again inflated at the treated region to engage the sleeve having the radioactive source against the blood vessel within the treated region for from 1 to 40 minutes to deliver a sufficient dose of radiation to inhibit neointimal hyperplasia.

Devices and methods for radiation treatment of an internal body organ

A suture applying device comprises a shaft which carries a pair of needles near its distal end. The needles are joined by a length of suture, and the shaft is used to both introduce the needles into a lumen of a body structure and to push the needles back through tissue on either side of the puncture site. After the needles have passed through the tissue, they are captured on the shaft and drawn outward through the tract, leaving a loop of suture behind to close the puncture site near the body lumen. The suture can then be tied and the knot pushed back through the tract to complete the closure. Alternatively, a locking fastener formed of a resorbable material can be placed into the penetration over the sutures and the sutures tied over the fastener.

Method for the percutaneous suturing of a vascular puncture site

Sleeve catheters having an interactive device near their distal ends are provided for introduction while disposed over conventional interventional and imaging catheters. Exemplary interactive devices on the sleeve catheters include ultrasonic imaging arrays, drug delivery lumens, and the like. The sleeve catheters are most commonly used with angioplasty catheters, stent placement catheters, atherectomy catheters, and the like.

Method and apparatus for sequentially performing multiple intraluminal

The invention provides methods and devices for delivering low level radiation to inhibit neointimal hyperplasia following angioplasty or other intravascular procedures. In an exemplary method, a balloon is inflated within a stenosed region of a blood vessel to produce a treated region. The balloon is then deflated and a radioactive source within a sleeve is aligned over the deflated balloon. The balloon is again inflated at the treated region to engage the sleeve having the radioactive source against the blood vessel within the treated region for from 1 to 40 minutes to deliver a sufficient dosage of radiation to inhibit neointimal hyperplasia.

Radiation emitting sleeve catheter and methods

An intravascular catheter provides fluid infusion tubes over a balloon surface to form isolated reservoir pockets for delivering drugs intraluminally. The fluid infusion tubes will be arranged in a network which, upon balloon expansion, defines the isolated reservoir pockets between adjacent tubes. In one embodiment, the drug infusion tubes are formed as part of an expansible sleeve which is positioned over a separate balloon catheter for expansion. In another embodiment, the infusion tubes are disposed over a balloon of a balloon catheter.

Method and apparatus for pressurized intraluminal drug delivery

The catheter system comprises a balloon catheter having a removable hub. The hub is removed to permit loading of a sleeve catheter over the proximal end of the balloon catheter. The removable hub includes both a circumferential seal for preventing leakage of inflation medium from the hub and a mechanical interlock for axially securing the hub to the balloon catheter.

Growing community of inventors

Los Altos, CA, United States of America

Enrique J Klein