Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.

Varian Medical Systems, Inc.

Scimed Life Systems, Inc.

Lifeshield Sciences LLC

Boston Scientific Corporation

Fergus Quigley

Lukas J Hijlkema

David J Zarbatany

Ari Moskowitz

Thomas V Casey, Ii

Kristoff Nelson

Steven Charles Dimmer

Robert C Thistle

John Edward Sherry

Timothy P Mate

William Quinn

Tricia V Zeller

John Sherry

Systems and methods for treating a lung of a lung of a patient. One embodiment of a method comprises positioning a leadless marker in the lung of the patient relative to the target, and collecting position data of the marker. This method further comprises determining the location of the marker in an external reference frame outside the patient based on the collected position data, and providing an objective output in the external reference frame that is responsive to movement of the marker. The objective output is provided at a frequency (i.e., periodicity) that results in a clinically acceptable tracking error. In addition, the objective output can also be provided at least substantially contemporaneously with collecting the position data used to determine the location of the marker.

Delivery catheter for and method of delivering implant, for example, bronchoscopically implanting a marker in a lung

Method and system fiducials contained in removable a device for use in guided radiation therapy treatment. One embodiment includes an active marker configured to be pre-loaded into a catheter for removeably implanting in the tissue of a patient. Another embodiment of the implantable device includes a stability element coupled to the marker and further coupled to an explant line. In some embodiments, the stability element is configured to hold the marker at a fixed location within the catheter (e.g., known location) with respect to a target in the tissue. In other embodiments, the explant line has a first portion coupled to the marker and/or the stability element and a second portion configured to be at least proximate to the dermis of the patient.

Method and system for fiducials contained in removable device for radiation therapy

Systems and methods for treating a lung of a patient. One embodiment of a method comprises positioning a leadless marker in the lung of the patient relative to the target, and collecting position data of the marker. This method further comprises determining the location of the marker in an external reference frame outside of the patient based on the collected position data, and providing an objective output in the external reference frame that is responsive to movement of the marker. The objective output is provided at a frequency (i.e., periodicity) that results in a clinically acceptable tracking error. In addition, the objective output can also be provided at least substantially contemporaneously with collecting the position data used to determine the location of the marker.

Delivery catheter for and method of delivering an implant, for example, bronchoscopically implanting a marker in a lung

The present invention provides a sectional crimped graft that allows graft flexibility where required and limits the overall longitudinal extension. The present invention overcomes the disadvantage of fully crimped grafts by controlling the number of crimps per unit length, crimp height, crimp geometry and their location along the graft wall, dependent on the particular end-use application. In so doing, flexibility and elongation can be controllably tailored only in areas where significant anatomical angulation is present. It may also be useful in applications other than stent grafts such as surgical grafts for aortic and peripheral areas. Limiting the overall graft longitudinal extension also facilitates the deployment of the stent-graft into the blood vessel.

Sectional crimped graft

The present invention provides an endoprosthesis comprising a radially distensible, tubular stent comprising opposed open ends and a stent wall structure having opposed exterior and luminal surfaces; and a continuous and seamless ePTFE tubular covering having a node and fibril structure securably disposed to at least one of the stent surfaces, the graft covering comprising at least two laminated layers, wherein the laminated layers include at least one region where the laminated layers are not securely bonded; and the at least one region has a different bending flexibility from the tubular graft covering.

Flexible stent-graft device having patterned polymeric coverings

A stent-graft or prosthesis () with enhanced flexibility, in particular enhanced bending flexibility, includes a radially distensible stent () and at least one continuously uninterrupted ePTFE tubular graft or covering () having a node and fibril structure. The tubular stent () includes opposed open ends (') and a stent wall structure () having opposed exterior () and luminal surfaces (). The ePTFE covering () is securably disposed to at least one of the stent surfaces (). The ePTFE graft or covering () includes a tubular wall () that is continuously uninterrupted and desirably substantially free of slits, apertures and folds. The ePTFE graft () further includes a first region () and a second region (), where the first region () has a different bending flexibility from the second region ().

Stent-graft having flexible geometries and methods of producing the same

A modular elongated stent having an overlap region where two modular components fit together, the overlap region being relatively stiff as compared to another more flexible region of the stent when the stent is in an assembled configuration, the stent further comprising a mimic region that has a stiffness essentially equivalent to the stiffness of the overlap region, to provide kink resistance. A stent having such a mimic region or otherwise stiff region and a flexible region may have a transition region between the stiff and flexible regions, also to provide kink resistance. A stent may have relatively stiff regions and relatively flexible regions positioned to align the flexible regions with curved regions of a body lumen when deployed within the body lumen. The stiffness of the stiff, flexible, and transition regions may be controlled by varying the cross-sectional area of the stent components and/or by varying the stent architecture.

Endoluminal stent having a matched stiffness region and/or a stiffness gradient

A low profile, implantable prosthesis includes (a) a tubular graft including opposed open ends and having yarns in a textile pattern to define a textile wall having a luminal surface and an exterior surface; and (b) a tubular, radially extensible member including a portion arranged in a closed zig-zag pattern, the pattern having a series of angled bends at proximal and distal ends thereof, and longitudinally extending members having opposed proximal and distal ends, the distal ends being disposed from the angled bends of the proximal end; the longitudinally extending members having a plurality of detents for securing the yarns within the textile pattern at one of the opposed open ends, wherein the yarns of the textile patterns are securably disposed to the detents. The detents may be holes, inwardly extending notches, outwardly extending protuberances, or combinations thereof in the longitudinally extending members. The textile pattern of the graft may be a braided textile pattern, a woven textile pattern, a knitted textile pattern, and combinations thereof. Desirably, the zigzag portion of the radially extensible member is disposed beyond the open end of the graft. The radially extensible member may be a stent or may be an anchoring device for securing the prosthesis against the wall of a bodily lumen.

Low profile stent-graft attachment

An endoluminal self-expanding prosthesis for placement in a blood vessel, duct or lumen, to hold it open. The prosthesis includes a stent with a graft extending within the stent. The stent is an elongated self-expanding stent with an open tubular wall structure. The graft is an elongated compressible generally tubular graft. One end of the graft is secured to the inside of the stent and the graft extends therethrough. The stent is deployed allowing the free flow of blood through the open-celled structure, and the graft is freely deployed secondarily within the stent by the blood flowing therethrough. The present invention is not subject to significant distal migration during delivery and placement of the prosthesis.

Graft inside stent

A modular elongated stent having an overlap region where two modular components fit together, the overlap region being relatively stiff as compared to another more flexible region of the stent when the stent is in an assembled configuration, the stent further comprising a mimic region that has a stiffness essentially equivalent to the stiffness of the overlap region, to provide kink resistance. A stent having such a mimic region or otherwise stiff region and a flexible region may have a transition region between the stiff and flexible regions, such as a bridging material attached to the stent, also to provide kink resistance. A stent may have relatively stiff regions and relatively flexible regions positioned to align the flexible regions with curved regions of a body lumen when deployed within the body lumen. The stiffness of the stiff, flexible, and transition regions may be controlled by attaching material to the stent, varying the cross-sectional area of the stent components, varying the metallurgical properties thereof, and/or by varying the stent architecture. Methods for providing kink resistance by controlling stent stiffness are also disclosed. A stent having regions of different metallurgical properties is also disclosed, as are methods for creating such a stent.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Fergus Quigley