National Institutes of Health, a Component of the US Dept. of Health & Human Services

Muffin Incorporated

Transmural Systems LLC

Cook Medical Technologies LLC

National Institutes of Health, Dhhs

Kanishka Ratnayaka

Shaun D Gittard

Robert J Lederman

Toby Rogers

Neal E Fearnot

Nasser Rafiee

William John Havel

John Crowder Sigmon, Jr

Stuart MacDonald

Gregory James Hardy

Jeremy T Newkirk

Biwei MacDonald

Alana Rafiee

Robert L Lederman

Shaun Davis Gittard

Jr John C Sigmon

Among other things, there is disclosed structure and methods for maintaining access to a location in the body while reducing or eliminating the potential for pulling an access device (e.g. a catheter) back through an opening. An introducer sheath includes a distal indented portion and a balloon, so that once placed in a desired location through tissue, the balloon can be inflated to anchor the sheath against retraction. In particular embodiments, structure and methods for accessing the pericardial cavity via the right atrial appendage are shown.

Vascular anchoring introducer sheath

In some implementations, a radially self-expanding endograft prosthesis is provided that includes (i) distal flange that is self-expanding and configured to flip generally perpendicularly with respect to a body of the prosthesis to help seat the prosthesis against a tissue wall, (ii) a distal segment extending proximally from the distal flange that has sufficient stiffness to maintain a puncture open that is formed through a vessel wall (iii) a compliant middle segment extending proximally from the distal segment, the middle segment being more compliant than the distal segment, and having independently movable undulating strut rings attached to a tubular fabric, the combined structure providing flexibility and compliance to allow for full patency while flexed, the segment being configured to accommodate up to a 90 degree bend, (iv) a proximal segment having a plurality of adjacent undulating strut rings that are connected to each other.

Devices and methods for effectuating percutaneous glenn and fontan procedures

Devices and methods for effectuating percutaneous Glenn and Fontan procedures

Disclosed here are devices and methods for treating functional tricuspid valve regurgitation and related conditions. Disclosed devices are adapted for applying force to an area of a patient's heart along or near the atrioventricular groove, and can include a tensioning element configured to be delivered by a flexible member guided through a catheter and positioned generally along or near the atrioventricular groove, and a compression member positionable along the tensioning element and over a desired segment of the atrioventricular groove to develop force to be applied to an adjacent area of the heart by selective tensioning of the tensioning element.

Devices and methods for treating functional tricuspid valve regurgitation

A method of retrieving a pair of previously implanted magnets from a patient's body includes maneuvering a guide catheter, which includes a guide magnet affixed to its distal end, toward the implantation site of the implanted magnets. The guide magnet is magnetically coupled to one of the implanted magnets in an orientation in which a through hole of the guide magnet is in register with through holes of the first and second implant magnets. An elongate capture member is slid through the lumen of the guide catheter until one of a proximal segment and a distal segment extends through the through holes of the guide magnet and the implanted magnets. An abutment segment of the elongate capture member, which separates the proximal segment and the distal segment is maneuvered into contact with the magnets. Then, the abutment segment, the guide magnet and the implanted magnets are moved as a group away from the implantation site.

Implanted magnets retrieval system and method

Growing community of inventors

Bethesda, MD, United States of America

Kanishka Ratnayaka