Baxano, Inc.

Baxano Surgical, Inc.

Medtronic Percusurge, Inc.

Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.

Zoll Circulation, Incorporated

Medtronic Ave, Inc.

Amendia, Inc.

Percusurge, Inc.

Other

The Spectranetics Corporation

Access Closure, Inc.

Radiant Medical, Inc.

Guidant Corporation

Jefferey C Bleam

Roy Leguidleguid

Celso J Bagaoisan

Jeffery Lee Bleich

Gregory Paul Schmitz

Gholam-Reza Zadno-Azizi

George Tsai

Isaac J Kim

Steven A Spisak

Ketan P Muni

Jeffrey L Bleich

Michael P Wallace

Suresh Subraya Pai

Amie R Borgstrom

Juan Domingo

Jeffrey F Field

Mukund R Patel

April A Marano-Ford

Gregory B Arcenio

Ronald Leguidleguid

Samuel L Omaleki

Juan T Domingo

Ron Leguidleguid

Vahid Saadat

Sivette Lam

Winnie Chung

Andres D Tomas

Peter E Wagner

Winnie Tang

Meir Moffarah

Andrew J MacKenzie

Gholam RezaZadno Azizi

Gholam-Reza Zadno Azizi

An angioplasty catheter comprises a catheter body having a balloon or other radially expandable shell at its distal end. An external structure is carried over the shell and scores a stenosed region in a blood vessel when the balloon is inflated therein. The catheter has an attachment structure disposed between the catheter body and the balloon to accommodate foreshortening and rotation of the external structure as the balloon is expanded. The external structure may be part of a helical cage structure which floats over the balloon. Stabilizing struts are provided between at least some of the helical struts.

Balloon catheter with non-deployable stent having improved stability

A device for removing tissue from a patient may include an elongate flexible body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis therebetween, the elongate body having opposed first and second major surfaces with a lateral orientation across the axis, and a plurality of blades distributed laterally across the first major surface. Each blade may have a first end adjacent the first surface and extending to a cantilevered second end, a first edge between the first and second ends of the blade being oriented toward the distal end of the elongate body, a second edge between the first and second ends of the blade being oriented toward the proximal end of the elongate body, a height of the blade between its first and second ends, and an axial length of the blade between its first and second edges.

Flexible tissue removal devices and methods

Described herein are methods and systems for precisely placing and/or manipulating devices within the body by first positioning a guidewire or pullwire. The device to be positioned within the body is coupled to the proximal end of the guidewire, and the device is pulled into the body by pulling on the distal end of the guidewire that extends from the body. The device may be bimanually manipulated by pulling the guidewire distally, and an attachment to a device that extends proximally, allowing control of both the proximal and the distal ends. In this manner devices (and particularly implants such as innerspinous distracters, stimulating leads, and disc slings) may be positioned and/or manipulated within the body. Guidewire exchange systems, devices and methods are also described. A guidewire may be exchanged between different surgical devices and may be releaseably or permanently coupled.

Access and tissue modification systems and methods

A method and system for guiding at least a portion of a surgical device to a desired position between two tissues in a patient's body involves coupling a guidewire to the device and pulling the distal end of the guidewire to guide at least a portion of the surgical device to a desired position between the two tissues. The surgical device generally includes one or more guidewire coupling members and may comprise a tissue access device. A system may include a guidewire and a surgical device. In some embodiments, a guidewire, a tissue access device, and one or more additional devices to use with the access device may be provided. Methods, devices and systems may be used in open, less-invasive or percutaneous surgical procedures, in various embodiments.

Tissue access guidewire system and method

A device for modifying one or more tissues in a patient's spine may include: an elongate, at least partially flexible body having a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein at least the distal portion has dimensions that allow it to be passed into an epidural space and between target and non-target tissues of the spine; at least one movable blade disposed along one side of the elongate body; at least one actuator coupled with the at least one blade and disposed at or near the proximal or distal portion of the body for moving the blade(s) to modify one or more target tissues, wherein the at least one actuator is configured to move the blade(s) without significantly translating the elongate body proximally or distally; and means at or near the proximal and distal portions of the elongate body for facilitating application of at least one of anchoring force and tensioning force to the body to urge the at least one blade against the target tissue.

Mechanical tissue modification devices and methods

A method for locating neural tissue in a patient body may involve: advancing a probe along a natural tissue interface between the neural tissue and another tissue in the body, the probe having a first surface oriented toward the neural tissue and a second surface oriented away from the neural tissue; delivering a first electrical current to a first electrode along the first surface of the probe; delivering a second electrical current to a second electrode along the second surface of the probe; and verifying that the first surface of the advanced probe remains oriented toward the neural tissue and the second surface remains oriented away from the neural tissue by monitoring neural response to the first and second electrical currents.

Spinal access and neural localization

A connector assembly for catheters having closed loop flow circuits, such as some balloon catheters and heat exchange catheters. The connector assembly comprises first and second connector bodies that may be connected and disconnected from one another. When the connector bodies are disconnected, a syringe or negative pressure source may be attached to withdraw residual fluid from the catheter's closed loop circuit and to deflate any expandable portion of the closed loop circuit (e.g., balloon or expandable heat exchanger). A one way flow valve prevents make up air or other fluid from entering the catheter while the negative pressure is being applied. Also disclosed are sterility barrier assemblies for all types of catheters. Such sterility barrier assemblies are operative to prevent contamination of the portion of a catheter that remains outside of a patient's body so that the catheter may subsequently be further advanced into the patient's body without introducing microbes or other contaminants into the patient's body.

Valved connector assembly and sterility barriers for heat exchange catheters and other closed loop catheters

Guidewire exchange systems, devices and methods, for positioning and actuating surgical devices in a desired position between two tissues in a patient's body are described. A guidewire may be coupled to a surgical device for positioning and actuating (e.g., urging against a target tissue). The guidewire may be exchanged between different surgical devices during the same procedure, and the guidewire and surgical devices may be releaseably or permanently coupled. The surgical device generally includes one or more guidewire coupling members. A system may include a guidewire and a surgical device having a guidewire coupling member. Methods, devices and systems may be used in open, less-invasive or percutaneous surgical procedures.

Guidewire exchange systems to treat spinal stenosis

A device for modifying tissue in a patient may include: an elongate body having a rigid proximal portion and a flexible distal portion having first and second major surfaces; a proximal handle coupled with the proximal portion of the body; one or more tissue modifying members disposed along the first major surface of the distal portion of the body; a guidewire coupled with and extending from the distal portion of the body; and a distal handle removably couplable with the guidewire outside the patient.

Tissue removal with at least partially flexible devices

An apparatus for providing hemostasis within a puncture through tissue includes an elongate member having a lumen extending between proximal and distal ends thereof, an expandable member carried on the distal end and a housing on the proximal end, the housing including an interior communicating with the lumen, and further including a valve assembly with a one-way valve allowing access into the housing interior upon application of a pressure differential across the valve, and a movable plunger for overriding and opening the valve.

Apparatus and method for temporary hemostasis

Growing community of inventors

Boulder Creek, CA, United States of America

Jefferey C Bleam