St. Jude Medical Atg, Inc.

Scimed Life Systems, Inc.

St. Jude Medical Cardiovascular Group, Inc.

Torax Medical, Inc.

Vascular Science Inc.

Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.

St. Jude Medical Anastomotic Technology Group, Inc.

St. Jude Medical, Cardiology Division, Inc.

St. Jude Medical, Inc.

St. Medical, Inc.

Todd Allen Berg

William J Swanson

Jason A Galdonik

Paul Hindrichs

Alex Alden Peterson

Mark D Wahlberg

Thomas Jerome Bachinski

Brian J Scovil

Jon St Germain

Jerome Kent Grudem, Jr

Chad John Kugler

Gregory Alan Boldenow

Henry John Pepin

Daniel J Sullivan

Jerry Grudem

Scott Patrick Thome

Christopher M Prigge

Jon Patrick St Germain

Steven D Kruse

Richard R Prather

Rick Cornelius

Kevin M Klitz

Luis Bonilla

Roger Noel Hastings

Thomas J Holman

Theodore Paul Dale

Michael P Brenzel

Gregory K Olson

Todd A Krinke

John Avi Roop

John B Logan

David M Costello

David S Goldsteen

Matthew W Weston

Scott P Thome

John W Humphrey

Bruce W Ebner

John E Arnold, Jr

Jeffrey M Welch

Matthew W Baker

Eric Stainbrook

James Berg

Jeffrey G Torborg

Paul J Hindrichs

Jerome K Grudem

Jr Jerome K Grudem

A plurality of structures that resiliently attract one another are provided for implanting in a patient around a body tissue structure of the patient. For example, the body tissue structure may be the esophagus, and the plurality of structures may be implanted in an annulus around the outside of the esophagus, the annulus being substantially coaxial with the esophagus. The attraction may be between annularly adjacent ones of the structures in the annulus, and it may be provided, for example, by magnets or springs. The array of structures is preferably self-limiting with respect to the smallest area that it can encompass, and this smallest area is preferably large enough to prevent the apparatus from applying excessive pressure to tissue passing through that area.

Methods and apparatus for treating body tissue sphincters and the like

Apparatus for treating body tissue sphincter

Link for apparatus for treating body tissue sphincter

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

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 catheter-based system for accessing specific body cavities percutaneously and minimizing patient trauma is provided. In the preferred embodiment, in order to create an aperture at an access site in a patient's existing tubular body organ structure, a delivery sheath is passed axially along the interior of a portion of the existing tubular body organ structure to place a distal end of the delivery sheath near the access site. A centering wire is passed axially along the interior of the delivery sheath, piercing through from inside to outside of the patient's existing tubular body organ structure at the access site by causing an end portion of the centering wire to emerge from the distal end of the delivery sheath. A cutting catheter is passed substantially coaxially over the centering wire and axially along the interior of the delivery sheath. The aperture is formed by advancing a distal end of the cutting catheter through from inside to outside of the patient's existing tubular body organ structure at the access site and advancing the distal end of the delivery sheath through from inside to outside of the patient's existing tubular body organ structure at the access site.

Vessel cutting devices

Methods and apparatus are provided that gather a patient's body tissue and then secure the gathered tissue in a reduced area utilizing a securing structure. The securing structure mainly resides on one side of the tissue to minimize or eliminate both foreign material and the amount of manipulation or activity on the other side of the tissue. The securing device is matched to the desired amount of tissue manipulation to minimize the structure. The gathered and secured tissue can surround a septal defect to obstruct or close the defect itself.

Apparatus and methods for tissue gathering and securing

Methods and apparatus for delivering and installing a new length of tubing between two sections of a patient's existing body organ tubing and at least partly outside of that existing structure. For example, the new length of tubing may be for the purpose of providing the patient with a coronary bypass. The new tubing may be an artificial graft, a natural graft (harvested elsewhere from the patient), or both. The new tubing is installed at the operative site primarily by providing at least one graft location with instrumentation inserted through the patient's existing tubular body organ structure. Assistance in installing the new tubing may be provided by minimally invasive surgical access openings in the patient's chest. The tubing may be delivered through the patient's existing tubular body structure or, alternatively, through the surgical access openings.

Medical grafting methods and apparatus

A guiding catheter for use in coronary angioplasty and other cardiovascular interventions which incorporates a plurality of segment of selected flexural modulus in the shaft of the device. The segments which have a different flexibility than the sections immediately proximal and distal to them, creating zones in the catheter shaft which are either more or less flexible than other zones of the shaft. The flexibility and length of the shaft in a given zone is then matched to its clinical function and role. A mid-shaft zone is significantly softer than a proximal shaft or distal secondary curve to better traverse the aortic arch shape without storing too much energy. A secondary zone section is designed to have maximum stiffness to provide optimum backup support and stability.

Guide catheter having selected flexural modulus segments

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

Heart valve attachment apparatus and methods that significantly reduce attachment times are provided. The apparatus and methods utilize a connector band to form an interface between a uni-directional valve and a tissue annulus. The connector band is secured to the tissue annulus by retention fingers.

Artificial heart valve attachment apparatus and methods

Growing community of inventors

Plymouth, MN, United States of America

Todd Allen Berg