Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.

Cardiothoracic Systems, Inc.

Cook Incorporated

Global Therapeutics, LLC

Other

Minnesota Micro Metal, Inc.

Devices for Vascular Intervention, Inc.

Endotex Interventional Systems, Inc.

Nellix, Inc.

Technology Development Center

Device for Vascular Intervention, Inc.

Maguet Cardiovascular LLC

John J Frantzen

Lilip Lau

William M Hartigan

Charles S Taylor

Ivan Sepetka

Amr Salahieh

William N Aldrich

Federico J Benetti

Robert C Glines

Brent Ford Regan

Dwight P Morejohn

Thomas J Fogarty

Richard S Ginn

Gary B Weller

Eugene Edward Reis

Sepehr Fariabi

Valavanur A Subramanian

Benjamin Sherman

William Friederich Witt

Peter S Brown

Brian J Bennett

Harry L Green

Christian Skieller

Michael J Billig

Thomas L Baughman

Michael V Morejohn

Geoffrey A Orth

James M Cannon, Jr

Ronald Devore

Farhad Khosravi

John B Simpson

Sharon S Lam

Leonard Nanis

Paul Cherkas

Hilary J Hampton

William B Tiffany

Scott C Anderson

Bhupendra O Shah

William F Witt

Brent Regan

The invention is methods and devices which a surgeon may use to stabilize the beating heart during a surgical procedure on the heart. Pursuant to the invention, a stabilizing device is introduced through an opening in the chest and brought into contact with the beating heart. By contacting the heart with the device and by exerting a stabilizing force on the device, the motion of the heart caused by the contraction of the heart muscles is effectively eliminated such that the heart is stabilized and the site of the surgery moves only minimally if at all. Typically, in separate steps, the surgeon contacts the heart with the stabilizing means, assesses the degree of movement of the anastomosis site, and exerts a force on the stabilizing means such that the contraction of the beating heart causes orgy minimal excess motion at the surgery site. By fixing the position of the stabilizing means in a configuration where the motion of the beating heart is effectively eliminated, the surgeon is able to stabilize the beating heart for the duration of the procedure. The stabilizing means may be attached to a rigid support or may be attached to a semi-rigid support which is rendered motionless mechanically, chemically, or by human intervention. In certain preferred embodiments, the stabilizing means is affixed to a semi-rigid support which is caused to become rigid, by any of a variety of techniques, such that the position of the stabilizing means becomes fixed by the support, and the heart remains substantially motionless for the duration of the procedure.

Surgical instruments and procedures for stabilizing the beating heart during coronary artery bypass graft

The invention is directed to an expandable stent for implantation in a body lumen, such as an artery, and a method for making it from a single length of tubing. The stent consists of a plurality of radially expandable cylindrical elements generally aligned on a common axis and interconnected by one or more interconnective elements. The individual radially expandable cylindrical elements consist of ribbon-like material disposed in an undulating pattern. Portions of the expanded stent project outwardly into engagement with the vessel wall to more securely attach the stent.

Expandable stents and method for making same

An improved surgical clip and clip applicator for placing a surgical clip over a target structure. The surgical clip generally has a pair of opposing clamp arms, each having an associated clamping surface, and a connecting portion joining the clamp arms and biasing them to a normally closed position. The surgical clip may be opened and locked into the open position prior to being loaded into a clip applicator or the surgical clip may be opened by a clip applicator itself. The surgical clip and clip applicators require reduced actuation forces and simplified applicator mechanisms.

Surgical clips and apparatus and method for clip placement

Surgical instruments and procedures for stabilizing the beating heart during coronary artery bypass graft surgery

The invention is methods and devices which a surgeon may use to stabilize the beating heart during a surgical procedure on the heart. Pursuant to the invention, a stabilizing device is introduced through an opening in the chest and brought into contact with the beating heart. By contacting the heart with the device and by exerting a stabilizing force on the device, the motion of the heart caused by the contraction of the heart muscles is effectively eliminated such that the heart is stabilized and the site of the surgery moves only minimally if at all. Typically, in separate steps, the surgeon contacts the heart with the stabilizing device, assesses the degree of movement of the anastomosis site, and exerts a force on the stabilizing device such that the contraction of the beating heart causes only minimal excess motion at the surgery site. By fixing the position of the stabilizing device in a configuration where the motion of the beating heart is effectively eliminated, the surgeon is able to stabilize the beating heart for the duration of the procedure. The stabilizing device may be attached to a rigid support or may be attached to a semi-rigid support which is rendered motionless mechanically, chemically, or by human intervention. In certain preferred embodiments, the stabilizing device is affixed to a semi-rigid support which is caused to become rigid, by any of a variety of techniques, such that the position of the stabilizing device becomes fixed by the support, and the heart remains substantially motionless for the duration of the procedure.

A stent-graft is provided which includes a smooth continuous inside surface for efficient fluid flow therethrough. The stent-graft can be implanted intraluminally by radially expanding the stent-graft adjacent an area within the body lumen to be treated, or can be implanted utilizing direct surgical techniques. A cylindrical support structure is preferably provided which is at least partially embedded along with portions of the film. The cylindrical support structure can facilitate radial expansion and provide additional structural strength to the stent-graft. A woven fabric support structure can also be embedded within the film of solid material forming the stent-graft to provide additional support to the stent-graft and allow suturing of the stent-graft to walls of the body lumen. Various different geometric configurations can be provided for the stent-graft. To form the stent-graft a mandrel is placed within a vacuum and a film of material, such as parylene, is deposited upon the mandrel. Additional layers of parylene film can be deposited to embed at least portions of the cylindrical support structure and/or the woven fabric support structure within the film of parylene forming the stent-graft. A coupling system including a collar with a circumferential groove can similarly be embedded within the stent-graft by deposition of additional layers of parylene film. Separate bands can reside within the groove partially and hold a portion of the wall of the lumen between the band and the groove of the collar to secure an end of the stent-graft adjacent the lumen.

Vascular stent-graft apparatus and forming method

Methods and devices used to stabilize a beating heart during a surgical procedure on the heart and to expose a surgical site are disclosed. The stabilizing device is introduced through an opening through the chest and brought into contact with the beating heart, and by exerting a stabilizing force on the device, the motion of the heart caused by the contractions of the heart muscles is effectively eliminated. Exposure members are actuable to reposition a portion of the surface of the heart to better expose a target artery or other surgical site. Accordingly, the heart is stabilized and movement of the site of the surgery is minimized. Typically, in separate steps, a surgeon contacts the heart with the stabilizing device, assesses the degree of movement of the anastomosis site, and exerts a force with a stabilizing device such that the contractions of the beating heart causes only minimal excess motion at the surgery site, whereupon exposure members further reposition heart tissue to better expose the surgical site. The stabilizing device may be attached to a rigid support or may be attached to a semi-rigid support which is rendered motionless mechanically, chemically or by human intervention.

A surgical stent ( ) is provided which can be radially expanded away from a central axis ( ) within a body lumen, such as an artery. The stent ( ) is formed from a series of struts ( ) circumscribing a cylindrical contour of the stent ( ). Each strut ( ) has a series of bends ( ) formed therein with each bend including at least one trough ( ) and at least one crest ( ). Gaps ( ) are provided between adjacent struts ( ). Each gap ( ) is spanned by an axial element such as a tie bar ( ). Each tie bar ( ) attaches to adjacent struts ( ) through troughs ( ) so that when the stent ( ) is radially expanded, the struts ( ) are not drawn together, but rather maintain their position and the stent ( ) hence maintains its axial length without contracting. Other elements can alternatively be provided between adjacent circumferential elements to provide varying degrees of flexibility between adjacent struts ( ).

Radially expandable non-contracting surgical stent

Expandable stents and method for making same stent delivery system

Method of deploying a stent in a body lumen

A method for polishing radially expandable surgical stents is disclosed where fluid abrasive media M flows over surfaces of the stent causing the surfaces of the stent to be polished and streamlined. The stent is temporarily provided with cylindrical support ends which are not radially expandable to support the stent during the polishing process. An interior polishing fixture is provided which has cylindrical chambers therein adapted to receive a stent therein. Fluid abrasive media M then flows into bores in the fixture leading to the cylindrical chambers and adjacent the inner diameter surfaces of the stent Surfaces of the stent forming the outer diameter are polished by placing the stent within an exterior polishing fixture which has a cylindrical recess therein. The cylindrical recess has a diameter greater than a diameter of outer surfaces of the stent and includes a cylindrical shaft passing axially through the cylindrical recess upon which the stent is located. Slanted bores pass through walls of the exterior polishing fixture and into the cylindrical recess directing the abrasive media M adjacent exterior surfaces of the stent and causing polishing of the exterior surfaces of the stent The direction of abrasive media M flow can be reversed to make streamlining of segments of the stent occur in a symmetrical fashion. After polishing of the stent is completed, the cylindrical support ends are removed and the stent is ready for implantation and radial expansion within a body lumen L. When polished and streamlined, the radially expandable surgical stent more effectively supports a body lumen L without excessive thrombus, restenosis and other medical complications.

Method for polishing surgical stents

Growing community of inventors

Copperopolis, CA, United States of America

John J Frantzen