W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.

Gore Enterprise Holdings, Inc.

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation

Eric M Tittelbaugh

Edward H Cully

Joseph R Armstrong

William D Montgomery

Mark Y Hansen

Brandon A Lurie

Wendy J Terry

Michael W Franklin

Craig R McMurray

Christopher C Lasley

Bret A Dooley

Michael R Mitchell

Robert R Steele

Cody L Hartman

Ryan S Titone

Roy Manygoats, Jr

Joshua C Haarer

Michael J Vonesh

Craig T Nordhausen

Roy Manygoats

Craig Mcmurray

The invention relates to a medical device and a method of using it. The device is a stent which can be percutaneously deliverable with (or on) an endovascular catheter or via other surgical or other techniques and then expanded. The stent is configured to have a central portion defined by 'open' cells and at least two end portions, defined by “closed” cells, spaced apart and directly connected to the distal and proximal ends of the central portion of the stent. The stent may also optionally have a covering or a lattice with openings.

Stent

An implantable device is disclosed. The device includes a two or three-piece frame assembly that is configured to be delivered in a series configuration and subsequently nested or telescoped in-situ.

Telescoping prosthetic valve and delivery system

The invention relates to a medical device and a method of using it. The device is a stent which can be percutaneously deliverable with (or on) an endovascular catheter or via other surgical or other techniques and then expanded. The stent is configured to have a central portion defined by 'open' cells and at least two end portions, defined by 'closed' cells, spaced apart and directly connected to the distal and proximal ends of the central portion of the stent. The stent may also optionally have a covering or a lattice with openings.

The present invention relates to a non-evertable blood filter that divides the transverse cross sectional area of a venous vessel into three annular regions or zones. The inner zone, the region immediately surrounding the longitudinal axis of the vessel, is maintained in a relatively open state with only minimal interference from the members making up the filter device so that blood flow can be maintained at a relatively normal rate. Concentrically surrounding the inner zone is the intermediate zone, to which captured emboli are directed out of the bloodstream passing primarily through the inner zone. Finally, concentrically surrounding the intermediate zone is the outer zone adjacent to the vessel wall. This is also intended to be kept free of emboli, so that emboli in the bloodstream immediately adjacent the vessel wall are directed away from the wall by the filter design and into the intermediate zone, thereby avoiding the accumulation of emboli adjacent the vessel wall that might otherwise result in stenosis. The blood filter is intended primarily for use as an inferior vena cava filter, although it can be made in a range of sizes allowing its use in blood vessels and particularly venous vessels of differing diameters. The filter is preferably removable.

Removable blood conduit filter

Articles made of shape memory alloys having improved fatigue performance and to methods of treating articles formed from shape memory alloy materials by pre-straining the articles (or desired portions of the articles) in a controlled manner so that the resultant articles exhibit improved fatigue performance. The shape memory articles are preferably medical devices, more preferably implantable medical devices. They are most preferably devices of nitinol shape memory alloy, most particularly that is superelastic at normal body temperature. The pre-straining method of the present invention as performed on such articles includes the controlled introduction of non-recoverable tensile strains greater than about 0.20% at the surface of a desired portion of a shape memory alloy article. Controlled pre-straining operations are performed on the shape-set nitinol metal to achieve non-recoverable tensile strain greater than about 0.20% at or near the surface of selected regions in the nitinol metal article.

Shape memory alloy articles with improved fatigue performance and methods therefore

Articles made of shape memory alloys having improved fatigue performance and to methods of treating articles formed from shape memory alloy materials by pre-straining the articles (or desired portions of the articles) in a controlled manner so that the resultant articles exhibit improved fatigue performance. The shape memory articles are preferably medical devices, more preferably implantable medical devices. They are most preferably devices of nitinol shape memory alloy, most particularly that is superelastic at normal body temperature. The pre-straining method of the present invention as performed on such articles includes the controlled introduction of non-recoverable tensile strains greater than about 0.20% at the surface of a desired portion of a shape memory alloy article. Controlled pre-straining operations are performed on the shape-set nitinol metal to achieve non-recoverable tensile strain greater than about 0.20% at or near the surface of selected regions in the nitinol metal article. The pre-straining operations result in a significant increase in fatigue life of the selectively treated regions and an overall improvement in the fatigue performance of the device.

Shape memory alloy articles with improved fatigue performance and methods therefor

A method of making articles made of shape memory alloys having improved fatigue performance and to methods of treating articles formed from shape memory alloy materials by pre-straining the articles (or desired portions of the articles) in a controlled manner so that the resultant articles exhibit improved fatigue performance. The shape memory articles are preferably medical devices, more preferably implantable medical devices. They are most preferably devices of nitinol shape memory alloy, most particularly that is superelastic at normal body temperature. The pre-straining method of the present invention as performed on such articles includes the controlled introduction of non-recoverable tensile strains greater than about 0.20% at the surface of a desired portion of a shape memory alloy article. Controlled pre-straining operations are performed on the shape-set nitinol metal to achieve non-recoverable tensile strain greater than about 0.20% at or near the surface of selected regions in the nitinol metal article. The pre-straining operations result in a significant increase in fatigue life of the selectively treated regions and an overall improvement in the fatigue performance of the device.

Method of making shape memory alloy articles with improved fatigue performance

Articles made of shape memory alloys having improved fatigue performance and to methods of treating articles formed from shape memory alloy materials by pre-straining the articles (or desired portions of the articles) in a controlled manner so that the resultant articles exhibit improved fatigue performance. The shape memory articles are preferably medical devices, more preferably implantable medical devices. They are most preferably devices of nitinol shape memory alloy, most particularly that is superelastic at normal body temperature. The pre-straining method of the present invention as performed on such articles includes the controlled introduction of non-recoverable tensile strains greater than about 0.20% at the surface of a desired portion of a shape memory alloy article. Controlled pre-straining operations are performed on the shape-set nitinol metal to achieve nonrecoverable tensile strain greater than about 0.20% at or near the surface of selected regions in the nitinol metal article. The pre-straining operations result in a significant increase in fatigue life of the selectively treated regions and an overall improvement in the fatigue performance of the device.

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Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America

Eric M Tittelbaugh