Scimed Life Systems, Inc.

Coaxia, Inc.

St. Jude Medical Atg, Inc.

Zoll Circulation, Incorporated

Valentx, Inc.

Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.

St. Jude Medical, Cardiology Division, Inc.

Other

St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC

Torax Medical, Inc.

St. Jude Medical Cardiovascular Group, Inc.

Innomedex LLC

Jon St Germain

Denise R Barbut

Todd Allen Berg

Peter Trexler Keith

Alex Alden Peterson

Mark D Wahlberg

Steven Wayne Berhow

Paul Hindrichs

David J Blaeser

Joel R Munsinger

Johann J Neisz

Scott A Olson

Cole Chen

Roland C Maude-Griffin

Sean Miller

Lixiao Wang

Roger Noel Hastings

Daniel O Adams

John Jianhua Chen

Paul J Thompson

Anthony Ciro Vrba

John Avi Roop

Jerome Kent Grudem, Jr

Brooke Qin Ren

Daniel J Klima

Steven D Kruse

The Thomas Trinh Tran

C Daniel Smith

Eric Stainbrook

Jr Jerome K Grudem

Sphincter reinforcement devices are described. Sphincter reinforcement devices may be configured to be placed at least partially around a bodily passage at or near a sphincter. In one embodiment, a sphincter reinforcement device may comprise a ring including a tubular structure. The ring may be expandable. The tubular structure may be hollow. The tubular structure may have a first end and a second end. The first end may be configured to be coupled to the second end. The tubular structure may include a braided material.

Devices and methods for sphincter reinforcement

Gastrointestinal bypass devices are described. In one embodiment, a gastrointestinal bypass device may include an anchoring membrane configured to be attached to a wall of an esophagus with a tissue anchor placed through the anchoring membrane. The anchoring membrane may be configured to be pierced to allow the tissue anchor to be placed through the anchoring membrane. Methods for attaching a device to a tissue wall are described. In one embodiment, a method may include forming a bulge in an anchoring membrane of the device and the tissue wall, piercing the bulge from a first side of the anchoring membrane and a first side of the tissue wall, placing a second retention element of a tissue anchor on a second side of the tissue wall, and, placing a tension element of the tissue anchor through the anchoring membrane and the tissue wall. The tension element may be coupled to the second retention element. The method may further include placing a first retention element on the first side of the anchoring membrane. The first retention element may be coupled to the tension element.

Devices and methods for gastrointestinal bypass

Methods are provided for partial aortic obstruction for cerebral perfusion augmentation in patients suffering from global or focal cerebral ischemia. Alternatively, the methods can be used to partially obstruct aortic blood flow to condition the spinal cord to secrete neuroprotective agents prior to abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Partial obstruction of a vessel can be accomplished by a device comprising an elongate catheter and a distally mounted expandable member. The expandable member may comprise one or two balloons. Other medical devices, such as an angioplasty, stent, or atherectomy catheter, can be inserted distal the expandable member to provide therapeutic intervention.

Partial aortic occlusion devices and methods for cerebral perfusion augmentation

Delivery devices are described. In one embodiment, a delivery device includes a catheter and a sealing pad coupled to an outer surface of the catheter. The delivery device may further include a recess formed in an outer surface of the catheter. The sealing pad may be coupled in the recess. Methods for delivering a tubular device are described. In one embodiment, a method may include inserting a distal end of a catheter into a lumen of a tubular device. The catheter may include a sealing pad coupled to an outer surface of the catheter. The method also includes positioning the sealing pad inside a drawstring coupled circumferentially to the tubular device, and cinching the drawstring around the catheter at the sealing pad to couple the tubular device to the catheter.

Devices and methods for gastrointestinal bypass are described. A gastrointestinal bypass device includes a gastrointestinal cuff and a gastrointestinal sleeve. The cuff may be configured to be attached in the esophagus, and may be sufficiently flexible to expand and collapse to conform with the inside of the esophagus to allow the esophagus to function substantially normally. The sleeve is configured to be coupled to the cuff, and may be made of a material that is floppy or flaccid but does not substantially expand radially.

A structure that can be used as a gastric band (and that may also have other uses as an implant elsewhere in a patient) includes a plurality of magnetic elements in a serial array that can be implanted so that the array extends in a circumferential direction around the patient's stomach (or other body tissue structure in the patient). Circumferentially adjacent magnetic elements magnetically attract one another to apply radial pressure to the tissue structure encompassed by the array, but those elements can also move apart in response to sufficient outward pressure from the encompassed tissue structure and/or the contents of (e.g., food in) that tissue structure. When used as a gastric band, the device can provide resistance to excessive food intake, which can help promote weight loss.

Magnetic gastric band or the like, and related methods

The present invention is a vascular stent comprising a cylindrical wall radially expandable from a compressed state to an expanded state and including a plurality of cells. At least one cell includes a first primary member having a first restrainer member and a second primary member having a second restrainer member. When the cylindrical wall is in the expanded state, the first and second primary members are located a greater distance from each other than when the cylindrical wall is in the compressed state. The first and second restrainer members join to maintain the cylindrical wall in the compressed state. An expansion force applied to the cylindrical wall causes the first and second restrainer members to separate, thereby freeing the cylindrical wall to expand from the compressed state to the expanded state.

Stent and system and method for deploying a stent

A medical graft connector for connecting an end of a tubular graft conduit to a side wall of a patient's existing tubular body conduit via an aperture in the side wall thereof has a first plurality of fingers configured to engage an interior surface of the side wall of the existing conduit. A second plurality of fingers is configured to engage an exterior surface of the side wall of the existing conduit. A third plurality of fingers is received in an interior lumen of the graft conduit, and a fourth plurality of fingers is configured to pierce the graft conduit. The connector is radially deformable between a first size and a second size.

Medical graft connector and methods of making and installing same

A device for use in dispensing the contents of a collapsible tube comprises a hollow cylindrical member for winding about the tube. The cylindrical member includes an elongated slot for receiving a tail portion of the collapsible tube, as well as a plurality of notches positioned along a periphery of a first end of the cylindrical member. An elastic flexible tether anchors to a second end of the cylindrical member. The tether is positionable between at least one of the plurality of notches contained within the first end of the cylindrical member. After winding, the tether is stretched and positioned between a selected notch, thereby securing the tether to the first end of the cylindrical member and retaining the thusly wound tube in a selected position. The hollow cylinder may also include a floss dispensing member positionable therein, as well as act as a storage compartment.

Collapsible tube retaining device

A system for arterial access for delivery of treatment devices is provided. In one embodiment, the system comprises a guidewire and a catheter. The catheter comprises a handle and a shaft. The shaft may be a steerable/deflectable tip shaft with a lumen adapted to allow passage of the guidewire at least partially there through. A passive sheath may also be provided to be delivered over the shaft. The handle controls the steerable/deflectable tip shaft and may be used to deflect the distal tip of the shaft.

System and method for arterial access

A method for mechanically assisting the pumping action of the heart. A catheter is provided comprising an elongate member having a proximal end, a distal region, an expandable member attached in the distal region, and an inflatable member in the distal region and attached distal the expandable member. The catheter is advanced into the aorta. The expandable member is expanded to at least partially obstruct the aorta. The inflatable member is inflated during diastole. The inflatable member is then deflated during the ejection phase of the left ventricle while expansion of the expandable member is maintained. The pumping action of the heart is thereby mechanically assisted. Cerebral perfusion augmentation may also be achieved by use of combined coarctation-counterpulsation devices and methods. Devices for practicing methods with increased volume-displacement efficiency are also described.

Counterpulsation device with increased volume-displacement efficiency and methods of use

A medical graft connector or plug is made, for example, by cutting end portions of a tube of highly elastic material axially at numerous locations spaced circumferentially around the tube to produce a plurality of fingers which extend axially from each end of an uncut medial portion of the tube. The fingers are deflected radially outwardly from the medial portion and set in that condition. For a graft connector, the medial portion is coaxially connected to an end portion of a tubular graft. The connector is then installed through an aperture in the side wall of a patient's tubular body conduit, for example, by using a delivery tube in which the fingers are elastically deflected back to approximately their initial positions. When the delivery conduit is withdrawn from the connector, the fingers spring out to engage the inner and outer surfaces of the body conduit wall. For a plug, the medial portion is occluded and then the structure is installed through the aperture to be plugged in a manner similar to installation of the connector.

Medical graft connector or plug structures, and methods of making and installing same

Growing community of inventors

Elk River, MN, United States of America

Jon St Germain