Edwards Lifesciences Corporation

Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises Limited

Ralph Schneider

Stanton J Rowe

Ming H Wu

Louis A Campbell

Hengchu Cao

John F Migliazza

Jeffrey S Dove

Gregory A Wright

Bin Tian

Ivan Jankovic

James M Young

Brian S Conklin

James A Davidson

Mohammad Jafari

Sergio Delgado

David Maimon

Manouchehr A Miraki

Liron Tayeb

Eran Goldberg

Jeffrey S Cohen

Jinny Lee

Alexander J Siegel

Boaz Manash

Lauren R Freschauf

Yair A Neumann

Stevan Nielsen

Eitan Atias

Eyal Leiba

Noa Axelrod

Ilan Tamir

Philip P Corso, Jr

Adi Carmi

Judith Hartwig

Arie Tylis

Jeff Cohen

Philip P Corso

Assaf Bash

Tomer Saar

Dustin P Armer

Michael G Valdez

Ofir Witzman

Eason Michael Abbott

Michael D Franklin

John Joseph Desrosiers

Noa Axelrod Manela

Anatoly Dvorsky

Amir Blumenfeld

Jon Boomgarden

Daniel James Murray

Manoucher A Miraki

Embodiments of valve repair systems, leaflet clip devices, and methods of reducing regurgitation through a native heart valve are disclosed. A valve repair system can include a delivery apparatus and a leaflet clip device that is coupled to the delivery apparatus. The leaflet clip device can comprise an elongated clipping member, and a tensioning mechanism. One or more tensioning members are operatively connected to the tensioning mechanism to transform the clipping member from a delivery configuration to an implantation configuration. The one or more tensioning members can include a first tensioning member having a distal end portion that is connected to a first end portion of the clipping member and a second tensioning member having a distal end portion that is connected to a second end portion of the clipping member.

Device and method for treating vascular insufficiency

An expandable docking station includes an annular valve seat having an end, an annular outer wall comprising struts disposed around the valve seat, and links that connect the end of the annular valve seat to the annular outer wall. Each of the links extends from the struts of the annular outer wall directly toward a longitudinal axis that runs longitudinally through a center of the docking station, and to a corresponding one of a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially extending legs at least partially defining the annular valve seat. The outer wall is configured to conform to an interior shape of a blood vessel, when expanded inside the blood vessel, such that the outer wall can expand in multiple locations to conform to multiple bulges of the blood vessel and can contract in multiple locations to conform to multiple narrowed regions of the blood vessel.

Docking stations for transcatheter valves

An expandable sheath is disclosed herein, which has a first polymeric layer and a braided layer positioned radially outward of the first polymeric layer. The braided layer includes a plurality of filaments braided together. The expandable sheaths further include a resilient elastic layer positioned radially outward of the braided layer. The elastic layer is configured to apply radial force to the braided layer and the first polymeric layer. The expandable sheath further includes a second polymeric layer positioned radially outward of the elastic layer and bonded to the first polymeric layer such that the braided layer and the elastic layer are encapsulated between the first and second polymeric layers. Methods of making and using the devices disclosed herein are also disclosed, as are crimping devices that may be used in methods of making the devices disclosed herein.

Expandable sheath

A septal closure and port device for implantation in the atrial septum of a patient's heart includes an expandable frame with a central portion defining a lumen, and first and second opposing end portions. The frame can expand and contract between a compressed, tubular configuration for delivery through the patient's vasculature and an expanded configuration in which the first and second end portions extend radially outwardly from the opposite ends of the central portion. The device can also have a valve member supported on the frame and positioned to block at least the flow of blood from the left atrium to the right atrium through the lumen of the frame. The valve member permits a medical instrument to be inserted through the lumen and into the left atrium, for performing a subsequent medical procedure in the left side of the heart.

Trans-septal closure and port device

Some disclosed suture securement devices comprise a flat, thin, generally planar body that has one or more suture engagement slots extending into the body from a perimeter inlet for receiving sutures laterally into the device. The slots can be resiliently widened to receive a suture and then released to clamp onto the suture. Some embodiments include two or more such suture engagement slots that independently receive and secure different sutures. Some embodiments include one or more locking tabs that have a closed position that retains the slots against widening and blocks the inlet to the slot. In some embodiment two or more slots are position next to each other on the same side of the device, while in other embodiments slots are positioned on opposite sides of the device. Other types of suture securement devices are also disclosed.

Suture securement devices

Devices and methods for deploying self-cinching surgical clips. A device can access at least two layers of tissue or material from only one side of the tissue or material and puncture through the two layers of tissue or material. The various configurations of clips disclosed herein can be made of a superelastic material such as Nitinol, and have a constrained and a relaxed state, and no sharp edges or tips so as to reduce tissue irritation following deployment. The clip can be disposed within the housing of the delivery device and held in a constrained state until deployment wherein the clip assumes its relaxed state, where the ends of the clip can be brought into close approximation, thereby securing the layers of tissue or material together.

Methods of deploying self-cinching surgical clips

Docking stations for transcatheter valves are described. The docking stations can include an expandable frame, at least one sealing portion, and a valve seat. The expandable frame can be configured to conform to an interior shape of a portion of the circulatory system when expanded inside the circulatory system. The sealing portion can be configured to contact an interior surface of the circulatory system to create a seal. The valve seat can be connected to the expandable frame and can be configured to support an expandable transcatheter valve. The docking stations are adaptable to different anatomies/locations to allow implantation of a transcatheter valve in a variety of anatomies/locations.

Methods for the conditioning of bioprosthetic material employ bovine pericardial membrane. A laser directed at the fibrous surface of the membrane and moved relative thereto reduces the thickness of the membrane to a specific uniform thickness and smoothes the surface. The wavelength, power and pulse rate of the laser are selected which will smooth the fibrous surface as well as ablate the surface to the appropriate thickness. Alternatively, a dermatome is used to remove a layer of material from the fibrous surface of the membrane. Thinning may also employ compression. Stepwise compression with cross-linking to stabilize the membrane is used to avoid damaging the membrane through inelastic compression. Rather, the membrane is bound in the elastic compressed state through addition cross-linking. The foregoing several thinning techniques may be employed together to achieve strong thin membranes.

Methods of conditioning sheet bioprosthetic tissue

Embodiments of a leaflet clip device and method of reducing regurgitation through a native heart valve are disclosed. A leaflet clip device can include an elongated clipping member having a first end portion and a second end portion and a tensioning mechanism coupled to the clipping member. The leaflet clip device can further include one or more tensioning members disposed within a lumen of the clipping member, wherein the one or more tensioning members are operatively connected to the tensioning mechanism to transform the clipping member from a delivery configuration to an implantation configuration.

Disclosed systems for implanting annuloplasty rings and other prosthetic devices can comprise a plurality of microanchors, sutures threaded through the microanchors, the sutures passing through the prosthetic device, individual microanchor guides, such as tubes or spears, for each microanchor that contain the microanchors during delivery and allow for positioning and deployment of the microanchors into annular tissue. The systems can also comprise a bracket that is temporarily coupled to the prosthetic device, holds the plurality of microanchor guides in position relative to one another and relative to the prosthetic device, and/or guides the sutures passing through the prosthetic device. The prosthetic device can include suture locking mechanisms to secure the prosthetic device to the sutures and to the implanted microanchors after the deployment devices have been removed.

Systems for implanting annuloplasty rings with microanchors

A septal closure and port device for implantation in the atrial septum of a patient's heart includes an expandable frame having a central portion defining a lumen, and first and second opposing end portions. The frame is configured to expand and contract between a compressed, tubular configuration for delivery through the patient's vasculature and an expanded configuration in which the first and second end portions extend radially outwardly from the opposite ends of the central portion. The device can further include a valve member supported on the frame and positioned to block at least the flow of blood from the left atrium to the right atrium through the lumen of the frame. The valve member is configured to permit a medical instrument to be inserted through the lumen and into the left atrium, such as for performing a subsequent medical procedure in the left side of the heart.

Growing community of inventors

Trabuco Canyon, CA, United States of America

Ralph Schneider