Schneider (Europe) A.g.

Schneider (Europe) Gmbh

Schneider (USA) Inc.

Biotronik Vi Patent Ag

Scimed Life Systems, Inc.

Biotronik Ag

Schneider - Shiley Ag

Schneider A.g.

Eugen Hofmann

Marc Gianotti

Susanne Hankh

Leonard Pinchuk

Richard S Kusleika

Richard L Goodin

Suranjan Roychowdhury

Jennifer E Raeder-Devens

Michael G O'Connor

Werner Niederhauser

Jeannine B Baden

Daniel J Klima

Christian Imbert

Jan Fehse

Bjoern Klocke

Matthias Fringes

Markus Hepke

Bettina Surber

Goran Lukic

Christoph Wintsch

Gerhard Gielenz

Andreas Jahn

Susanne Pfenninger

Susanne Pfenninger-Ganz

Wladimir Ostheim-Dzerowycz

Deniz Bilecen

A system and a method for crimping a heart valve prosthesis onto a catheter shaft. The system comprises two components () which receive the heart valve prosthesis () and are inserted into one another in the direction () in order to crimp the heart valve prosthesis ().

Method for fitting an implant to a catheter

An implant comprising a body (), at least one active pharmaceutical substance () and an element () deflectable in relation to the body, serving to release the at least one active pharmaceutical substance () during or after an external excitation of the deflection. Also disclosed is a system of such an implant and an excitation device ().

Implant and system of an implant and an excitation device

A catheter guide wire, especially for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, comprises an elongated wire shaft of a flexible material having a proximal and a distal end and disposed on the wire shaft at least one radiopaque, sleeve-like marker adjacent to the distal end. The at least one marker is disposed on a core section of the wire shaft, said core section being widened in its diameter relative to the diameter of the adjoining shaft sections.

Catheter guide wire especially for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

The stent having a flexible self-expandable braided tubular wall having a proximal segment having an outer diameter, and a distal segment having an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the proximal segment. An intermediate segment is formed between the proximal and distal segments, which forms a truncated cone of which the base is forming the proximal end of the intermediate segment and of which the top is forming the distal end of the intermediate segment. A covering layer is arranged within the tubular wall.

Conical stent

The stent comprises a flexible self-expandable braided tubular wall having a proximal segment having an outer diameter, and a distal segment having an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the proximal segment. An intermediate segment is formed between proximal and distal segments, which forms a truncated cone of which the base is forming the proximal end of the intermediate segment and of which the top is forming the distal end of the intermediate segment. A covering layer is arranged within the tubular wall.

Guidewire threader

A body implantable stent is formed of a plurality of strands arranged in two sets of coaxial helices, wound in opposite directions to form multiple crossings. At selected crossings, the adjacent strands are welded to one another, while at the remaining crossings the strands are free for limited movement relative to one another. The welds are formed in patterns that preferably enhance radial strength and rigidity, while having a minimal impact on axial bending flexibility. Preferred weld patterns in this regard include rings or circumferential rows, and helices, particularly with a steeper pitch than that of the strands. Stent fabrication preferably involves resistance welding at the crossings, and use of a tool to reuniformly compress the stent around and against the distal end region of a balloon catheter used later to deliver the stent to a treatment site.

Process for fabricating a prosthesis

Protheses with selectively welded crossing strands

A guidewire threader to facilitate insertion of the proximal end of a guidewire into the distal end of a catheter including two clamping pieces each of which has the shape of a lever having two arms and are hinged to each other for pivoting about a common axis between a closed clamp position and an open release position. A spring maintains clamping surfaces, each of which is provided on one arm of each clamping piece, positively in contact with each other in the clamp position. The clamping surfaces in their condition in contact with each other define a passage oriented roughly parallel to the common pivot axis open at both ends, the passage containing a section having an interior dimension corresponding to the outer diameter of the catheter and which is flared funnel-shaped at both of its ends. In the release position, the clamping surfaces open the passage in the lateral direction for removal of the guidewire.

When installed in the device, the endoprosthesis is compressed radially and located in a cylindrical chamber (14), one proximal area (A) of this endoprosthesis lies within a first outer catheter (3) and a second distal area (B) is in a second outer catheter (30). In order to release the endoprosthesis (1) in a vessel (11), for example, the second outer catheter (30) is first retracted. The endoprosthesis (1) is then held in the first outer catheter (3) by friction and can be re-folded and thus repositioned by advancing the second outer catheter (30). Finally, the endoprosthesis (1) is released by retracting the first outer catheter (3). Because the friction is distributed over at least two outer catheters (3, 30), even endoprostheses (1) that generate a high level of friction on the outer catheter, for example because of a coating, of greater expansion force, or because of great length, can be released.

Apparatus for releasing a self-expanding endoprosthesis

The endoprosthesis is inserted under tension in a recess of a flexible inner catheter and secured by means of a tube-shaped outer catheter. To release the endoprosthesis into a vessel, the outer catheter is pushed back over the recess. The recess is formed by a connector piece that connects a tip to a piece of tubing of the inner catheter. The inner catheter can be designed with a smaller outer diameter in the region of the recess than was previously the case with at least the same flexibility and resistance to buckling.

Device for the implantation of a self-expanding endoprosthesis

A catheter with a self-expanding stent of a permeable mesh of stiff intersecting fibers is provided. A tubular outer catheter shaft holds the stent under tension at its distal end and from which the stent can be released for placement. A displaceable inner catheter inside the tubular outer catheter shaft supports the stent axially at its proximal end. In order to release the stent, the outer catheter shaft is retracted with respect to the inner catheter. A process for producing this catheter is also described. The stent is secured by gripping it at its proximal end in such a way that it forms a permeable mesh cone that expands automatically together with the stent and has a radius that increases gradually to the radius of the relaxed stent. The stent is securely anchored on the inner catheter with the help of the mesh cone.

Catheter with a stent

Growing community of inventors

Zurich, Switzerland

Eugen Hofmann