Valcare, Inc.

Baxter International Inc.

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation

Valcare Medical, Inc.

Victor S Packham

Samuel M Shaolian

Hung H Cao

Stefan G Schreck

Alain F Carpentier

Nadav Yellin

Jeffrey P Dumontelle

Sophie M Carpentier

Lillian J Quintero

Jong H Wang

Richard S Rhee

Ross Tsukashima

Keith E Myers

Robert J Todd

Maurice Buchbinder

Brian C Gray

Carl A Swindle

Jerry L Jackman

Ross Bartholomew

Charles R Weyrauch

Jane Li

Kwan J Kim

Apparatus, systems, and methods are provided for repairing heart valves through percutaneous transcatheter delivery and fixation of annuloplasty rings to heart valves. An annuloplasty ring includes an outer hollow body member including a plurality of regions. Adjacent regions cooperate with one another to change the body member from an elongate insertion geometry to an annular operable geometry. Adjacent regions are coupled by a biasing element or a stepped connector to allow expansion to an expanded state and contraction to a contracted state in the annular operable geometry. The annuloplasty ring also includes an internal anchor member located at least partially within the body member and having a plurality of anchors configured to attach the annuloplasty ring to tissue of a heart valve annulus. An angled ring closure lock allows coupling of the ends of an annuloplasty ring at an apex of a D-shape annular operable geometry.

Percutaneous annuloplasty system with anterior-posterior adjustment

Apparatus, systems, and methods are provided for repairing heart valves through percutaneous transcatheter delivery and fixation of annuloplasty rings to heart valves. An annuloplasty ring includes an outer hollow member including a plurality of segments. Adjacent segments cooperate with one another to change the outer hollow member from an elongate insertion geometry to an annular operable geometry. The annuloplasty ring also includes an internal anchor member located at least partially within the outer hollow member. The internal anchor member includes a plurality of anchors configured to attach the annuloplasty ring to tissue of a heart valve annulus. The internal anchor member is configured to move the plurality of anchors with respect to a plurality of windows in the outer hollow member to selectively deploy the plurality of anchors through the respective windows.

Percutaneous transcatheter repair of heart valves

An apparatus for treating fixed biological tissue to inhibit calcification of the biological tissue following implantation thereof in a mammalian body. The apparatus includes a container for placing the biological tissue in contact with a treatment solution, structure to induce relative tissue/solution movement, and structure to heat the solution. The relative movement may be induced by shaking a container in which the tissue is immersed in the treatment solution, or by stirring the solution within the container. The movement may also be induced by flowing a treatment solution past the tissue to be treated. The tissue may be free to move in the treatment container, or may be restrained from gross movements. The flow may be part of a circulation system having a reservoir, with a heater being provided to heat the treatment solution in the reservoir. Alternatively, a treatment apparatus, including a fluid circulation system if desired, may be enclosed in an incubator. The tissue may be mounted in a planar configuration generally parallel to the direction of fluid flow. A flow column having a plurality of sections divided by perforated baffles may be used to treat multiple tissues at once.

Apparatuses and methods for treating biological tissue to mitigate calcification

A method of surgery including bending a multi-purpose surgical implement handle that has proximal and distal ends. A gripping section is located toward the proximal end, and an attachment section is located toward the distal end. An adjusting section is interposed between the gripping section and the attachment section. The adjusting section may be bent by a human user at virtually any discrete location along the section. The adjusting section may include an increased-adjustability portion which is easier to bend than other portions of the adjusting section. The method includes attaching a surgical implement to the attaching section of the handle, and bending the adjusting section at least once prior to inserting the implement through a surgical opening to a surgical field. The method further may include bending the adjusting section more than once to form multiple bends therein.

Method of surgery including adjusting the shape of an implement handle

Apparatuses for treating biological tissue to mitigate calcification

A multi-purpose surgical implement handle has proximal and distal ends. A gripping section is located toward the proximal end, and an attachment section is located toward the distal end. An adjusting section is interposed between the gripping section and the attachment section. The adjusting section may be bent by a human user at virtually any discrete location along the section. The adjusting section may include an increased-adjustability portion which is easier to bend than other portions of the adjusting section.

Shape-adjustable surgical implement handle

A method for treating fixed biological tissue inhibits calcification of the biological tissue following implantation thereof in a mammalian body. The method includes placing the biological tissue in contact with a treatment solution, inducing relative tissue/solution movement, and heating the solution. The relative movement may be induced by shaking a container in which the tissue is immersed in the treatment solution, or by stirring the solution within the container. The movement may also be induced by flowing a treatment solution past the tissue to be treated. The tissue may be free to move in the treatment container, or may be restrained from gross movements. The flow may be part of a circulation system having a reservoir, with a heater being provided to heat the treatment solution in the reservoir. Alternatively, a treatment apparatus, including a fluid circulation system if desired, may be enclosed in an incubator. The tissue may be mounted in a planar configuration generally parallel to the direction of fluid flow. A flow column having a plurality of sections divided by perforated baffles may be used to treat multiple tissues at once.

Methods and apparatuses for treating biological tissue to mitigate

An ergonomic elbow rest includes a conformal elbow support pad with arms cushioned to receive and support a user's elbow, including possibly a significant portion of the upper body weight of the user, with full adjustability of position of the elbow support pad relative to a work bench or table at which the user is to perform a task. The elbow rest assists in steadying the user's hands, and also assists in maintaining a fatigue-resistant erect spinal and head posture for the user. The elbow support pad may include a recess or a through hole for receiving and maintaining a preferred position of the user's elbow during performance of the work task.

Ergonomic elbow rest

Growing community of inventors

Costa Mesa, CA, United States of America

Victor S Packham