Medtronic Vascular, Inc.

Medtronic Ave, Inc.

Stamford Devices Limited

Medtronic Vascular Connaught

Noel Coyle

Niall F Duffy

Patrick Duane

Declan P Costello

Gerry Clarke

David Quinn

Brendan Cunniffe

John MacNamara

Richard William Alan Francis

Robert H Murray

Paula McDonnell

Mark Casley

Joseph Martin Grehan

Rodney Bell

Ronan Thornton

Kevin Boyle

Ashish Varma

Richard Gribbons

Kevin Treacy

Ash Varma

Patrick J Carmody

Stephen Thornton

Russell Greaney

Joseph Grehan

Niall Duffy

Francis Richard

An aerosol delivery system has an aerosol generator with a vibrating aperture plate () and an actuator (), a controller (). The controller in real time monitors () the aerosol generator as it is driven for vibration of the aperture plate, and detects () a change in an electrical characteristic in response to a transition from a wet state to a dry state of the aperture plate. It automatically modifies (), during the transition, operation of the aerosol generator in response to the detected change. The modification includes reducing applied power (). The controller continues () to monitor during the transition, including monitoring the aperture plate for presence of residual liquid on the aperture plate first surface. The controller monitors at a number of drive frequencies and maintains data representing trends in a combination of the electrical characteristic signals at the different frequencies, and identifies a start of a transition if a calculated value rises above a threshold. There is one threshold for triggering a check scan for residual volume and a higher threshold to trigger an immediate shut down.

Protection of aperture plate during aerosol generation

According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a method and apparatus for delivering a medical stent to a treatment site for forming a conduit between a blood vessel and a heart chamber. The apparatus comprises a hollow cylindrical body having a proximal end and a distal end, the stent being positioned within the body; and an actuator for expelling the stent from the body to form the conduit.

Method of implanting a transmyocardial stent

According to an aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for deploying a fistula device. The apparatus comprises an elongate cover member having a proximal end and a distal end, and an elongate support member within the cover member for supporting the fistula device and configured for relative movement with respect to the cover member so as to release the fistula device at a desired location.

Methods and devices for placing a fistula device in fluid communication with a target vessel

A balloon catheter includes an inflation shaft and an elongated guidewire shaft. A relatively short, distal portion of the guidewire shaft is attached to, or enveloped within, a distal portion of the inflation shaft. A proximal portion of the guidewire shaft is detached from and independent of a proximal portion of the inflation shaft. The detached portion of the guidewire shaft contains perforations at pre-determined points along its length that define removable segments thereof. The removable segments remain attached to the guidewire shaft under normal conditions, but may be torn away from the guidewire shaft to provide access to a guidewire within a guidewire lumen thereof.

Catheter with a convertible proximal catheter shaft

A balloon catheter includes a full-length inflation shaft and a guidewire shaft for fast catheter and guidewire exchange. The proximal portions of the inflation shaft and the guidewire shaft are detached from one another. The detached proximal shaft portions transition within a conversion portion of the catheter shaft and become coaxial within a distal portion of the catheter shaft. The proximal portion of the guidewire shaft may contain a continuous, longitudinally extending slot that acts as a guide member or guidewire track. Alternatively, the proximal portion of the guidewire shaft maybe removable from the catheter at a conversion joint via a snap-fit connection. Both embodiments allow for catheter exchange without removing the guidewire from a body lumen, or allow guidewire exchange without removing the catheter from the body lumen.

Catheter with detached proximal inflation and guidewire shafts

A convertible balloon catheter for use as either an over-the-wire catheter or a rapid exchange catheter, comprising a flexible outer shaft, flexible inner shaft, angioplasty balloon, and bifurcate hub. The inner shaft is comprised of a relatively elastic, deformable material and forms an inflation lumen. The inner inflation shaft is attached to the outer shaft, and has a cross section that is radially collapsible to increase the size of a full-length guide wire lumen formed between an outer surface of the inner shaft and an inner surface of the outer shaft. Formed in the outer shaft is a hatch, which covers a guide wire port. The hatch has a perforated peripheral edge which allows the hatch to be removed. The balloon is simply constructed with essentially four components, which significantly reduces the labor required for assembly.

Convertible balloon catheter and manufacture thereof

A catheter and guide wire exchange system including a catheter that has a guide wire lumen with a guide way extending along a length of the proximal shaft. A guide member is slidably disposed about the proximal shaft for directing a guide wire into or out of the guide way and the guide wire lumen. A transition section joins the trilumen proximal shaft to a coaxial distal shaft.

Catheter and guide wire exchange system with improved proximal shaft and transition section

A catheter and guide wire exchange system including a catheter having a guide wire lumen with a guide way extending along the length of a stiffened proximal shaft portion, and a guide member slidably disposed about the proximal shaft for directing a guide wire into or out of the guide way and the guide wire lumen. The guide member may be slid along the proximal shaft portion and the guide wire in zipper-like fashion so that the guide wire is contained within the guide wire lumen distal to the guide member and with the guide wire and catheter being separated proximal of the guide member.

Catheter and guide wire exchange system

Growing community of inventors

Galway, Ireland

Noel Coyle