Cook Incorporated

Other

Hans A Timmermans

Josef Rosch

Barry T Uchida

Munehiro Maeda

Constantin Cope

A self-expanding endovascular stent formed of stainless steel wire which is bent into an elongated zigzag pattern. The zigzag pattern has a plurality of substantially straight wire sections of various lengths separating a plurality of bends. The zigzag pattern is helically wound about a central axis to define a tubular shape such that a majority of the bends are disposed in a helix. Adjacent bends in the helix are interconnected with a filament. The stent is capable of being radially compressed such that the straight wire sections and the bends are tightly packed around a central axis. The stent resiliently self-expands to assume a tubular shape when released from the compressed state. Depending on the pattern of the lengths of the straight wire sections in the zigzag pattern, the final tubular shape can be made irregular to match a patient's vascular system. In other words, the diameter of the tube which is defined by the stent can be made to vary along the length of the stent. Stents of the present invention are used to expand a passageway, hold a passageway open, or create a passageway.

Spiral stent

A method and apparatus for creating abdominal visceral anastomoses. A first magnet is placed within a first viscera and a second, larger magnet is placed within a second viscera. The magnets each have a raised rim around their perimeters. The two magnets couple to each other by virtue of their mutual attraction, thereby capturing a portion of the intervening visceral walls between them. The coupling of the magnets is automatically self-centering, as the smaller magnet is forced to rest within the raised rim of the larger magnet. Additionally, the raised rim of the smaller magnet acts as a fine cutting edge in order to accelerate the process of ischemic necrosis of the tissue captured between the two magnets, thereby forming the anastomosis. Use of the present invention avoids the need for general anasthesia and a laparotic incision, resulting in fewer surgical and post-surgical complications.

Method and apparatus for creating abdominal visceral anastomoses

A method is disclosed for compressing a helically coiled stent by folding coils about a first plane and a second plane, each plane containing the longitudinal axis of the stent and the first plane being normal to the second plane, and maintaining separation between individual coils of the stent while folding. Apparatus for performing the compression includes a first pair of combs that engage the coils of the stent at diametrically opposed sides at points lying on a first plane that extends through the longitudinal axis of the stent. A second pair of combs engage the coils at diametrically opposed sides at points lying on a second plane that also extends through the stent longitudinal axis but is normal to the first plane. The first pair of combs are mounted on a track that permits them to be moved relative to the second pair of combs along the stent longitudinal axis. The combs in each pair are joined together through parallelogram linkages which permit them to be moved toward or away from one another over a fixed distance. Each comb has locking rakes located on each of its sides and the comb is movable relative to the rakes. This allows the pins of the combs to be aligned with the teeth of the locking rakes to insert the coils of the stent and then to be urged away from one another to lock the coils therebetween.

Method and apparatus for compressing a stent prior to insertion

A sheath comprising a tubular structure formed of a flexible material which is compatible for insertion within the body and having proximal and distal ends. In one embodiment, the tubular structure includes one slit having an open and a closed end. The tubular structure is further comprised of a tab defined by the slit whereby, when the tab is pulled apart from any object extending through the lumen of the tubular structure, the tubular structure tears longitudinally removing the tubular structure from the object. In another embodiment, the tubular structure is cuffed between the closed end of the slit and the distal end of the tubular structure, the cuff defining the proximal end of the tubular structure. The cuff prevents the slit from tearing prematurely and further provides a blunt, smooth open end at the proximal end that permits closure thereof by thumb pressure only in order to temporarily block blood flow or air aspiration during use.

Sheath

Hemostasis cannula comprising a body having a passage therethrough adapted to receive a catheter and three side-by-side gaskets mounted in the passage. The gaskets form a seal around a catheter enclosed within the cannula. When the catheter is removed, the gaskets block air flow into the patient's blood vessel and also block blood flow out of the patient's blood vessel. The cannula also includes a flexible entrance tube and a port for introducing fluids into a patient's blood vessel.

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

Hans A Timmermans