Guided Delivery Systems, Inc.

Ancora Heart, Inc.

Other

Rodolfo A Morales

Niel F Starksen

John T To

Mariel Fabro

Michael Francis Wei

John To

Nick Pliam

Devices, systems and methods facilitate positioning of a cardiac valve annulus treatment device, thus enhancing treatment of the annulus. Methods generally involve advancing an anchor delivery device through vasculature of the patient to a location in the heart for treating the valve annulus, contacting the anchor delivery device with a length of the valve annulus, delivering a plurality of coupled anchors from the anchor delivery device to secure the anchors to the annulus, and drawing the anchors together to circumferentially tighten the valve annulus. Devices generally include an elongate catheter having at least one tensioning member and at least one tensioning actuator for deforming a distal portion of the catheter to help it conform to a valve annulus. The catheter device may be used to navigate a subannular space below a mitral valve to facilitate positioning of an anchor delivery device.

Delivery devices and methods for heart valve repair

Methods and devices provide constriction of a heart valve annulus to treat cardiac valve regurgitation and other conditions. Embodiments typically include a device for attaching a cinching or tightening apparatus to a heart valve annulus to reduce the circumference of the annulus, thus reducing valve regurgitation. Tightening devices may include multiple tethered clips, multiple untethered crimping clips, stabilizing devices, visualization devices, and the like. In one embodiment, a plurality of tethered clips is secured circumferentially to a valve annulus, and the tether coupling the clips is cinched to reduce the circumference of at least a portion of the annulus. Methods and devices may be used in open heart surgical procedures, minimally invasive procedures, catheter-based procedures, and/or procedures on beating hearts or stopped hearts.

Devices and methods for heart valve repair

Described herein are methods of remodeling the base of a ventricle. In particular, methods of remodeling a valve annulus by forming a new fibrous annulus are described. These methods may result in a remodeled annulus that corrects valve leaflet function without substantially inhibiting the mobility of the leaflet. The methods of remodeling the base of the ventricle include the steps of securing a plurality of anchors to the valve annulus beneath one or more leaflets of the valve, constricting the valve annulus by cinching a tether connecting the anchors, and securing the anchors in the cinched conformation to allow the growth of fibrous tissue. The annulus may be cinched (e.g., while visualizing the annulus) so that the mobility of the valve leaflets is not significantly restricted. The remodeled annulus is typically constricted to shorten the diameter of the annulus to correct for valve dysfunction (e.g., regurgitation).

Methods for remodeling cardiac tissue

Devices and methods for facilitating transvascular, minimally invasive and other 'less invasive' surgical procedures generally include a sheath with an expandable balloon at the distal end, an inflation lumen for expanding the balloon, and a device passage lumen for allowing passage of one or more surgical instruments. The sheath is configured to house at least one visualization device such that an optical element of the device is positioned to view the surgical site. In some embodiments, instruments may be passed through the sheath, with the distal balloon partially or fully circumscribing or encircling the instruments. Any suitable instrument(s) may be passed through sheaths of the invention, such as a surgical clip applier for repairing a heart valve, an ablation member for treating atrial fibrillation, one or more pacemaker leads, a coronary sinus access device or the like.

Cardiac visualization devices and methods

A method for imparting durable press and softness characteristics to garments. The initial step of the process is to start with a garment in which the pH is between about 6 and 7. The garments are immersed in a mixture of water, a non-ionic wetter, a glyoxal resin and aminofunctional silicone, and a cationic HDPE in specific amounts, depending upon the type of fabric of which the garments are made. The mixture is extracted from the garments to a specific extent. After mixture extraction, the garments are pressed and baked.

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Los Gatos, CA, United States of America

Rodolfo A Morales