Medtronic, Inc.

Cook Medical Technologies LLC

Muffin Incorporated

The United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services

Purdue Research Foundation

The Cleveland Clinic Foundation

Imperception, Incorporated

Greenberg, Roy K.

William John Havel

Neal E Fearnot

Jarin A Kratzberg

Peter S McKinnis

Siddharth Vad

Yun Zhou

John Crowder Sigmon, Jr

Shaun D Gittard

Blayne A Roeder

Matthew S Huser

Michael P DeBruyne

Joseph Leo Sullivan

D Curtis Deno

Vladimir Pavlovich Nikolski

Can Cinbis

Jonathan L Kuhn

David A Anderson

Matthew David Bonner

Tommy Dean Bennett

Don H Tran

Steven Lawrence Waldhauser

Erik Griswold

Paul Gordon Krause

Paul J Degroot

Leslie A Geddes

Jon D Schell

Robert G Matheny

Jeffry Scott Melsheimer

Yong Kyun Cho

Vihar C Surti

Karen J Kleckner

Stephen Francis Badylak

Mark T Marshall

Fred William Chapman

Robert G Walker

Bruce D Gunderson

Roy K Greenberg

William T Donofrio

Vincent E Splett

Teresa A Whitman

William Kurt Dierking

Charles Dennis Swerdlow

Keith Milner

David Arthur Casavant

Darrell Orvin Wagner

Per Hendriksen

Robert J Lederman

Jeremy T Newkirk

Gregory James Hardy

Rick Hadley

Rita Hadley

Kevin Patrick Kuehn

Zachary Wagner

Tony C Hopkins

Sarah Robbins

Richard B Sisken

James Calvin Allan

Charles Leland Baxter

Toby Rogers

Paul M Stein

Kimberly Ann Ringenberger

Marc C Buhrmester

Kanishka Ratnayaka

Johnny LeBlanc

Rudolph A Beasley

Thomas W Sinner

Warren W Wold

Robert L Lederman

Gary H Kemmetmueller

Matt Huser

Kendra Yasger

Paul J DeGroot

Daniel W Piraino

Ruth N Klepfer

James D Purdy

Robert T Taepke

Karel F A A Smits

David E Euler

Eric R Williams

Joe D Bourland

Kenneth Aaron Haselby

Jean J G Rutten

Chris C Christiansen

Sara Marie Sherman

Shuo Yang

Kevin A Wanasek

Laurie D Foerster

Kelly M Wien

James Thomas Jones

John C Sigmon

Markus J C Lazeroms

William E Schoenlein

Kyle D Amick

David M Schneider

Michelle Martinez

Willis A Tacker

Fred J Obermiller

David Reuter

Mitch Turley

Peter S Mckinnis

Among other things, there are disclosed embodiments of belts or bands that can be used in treatments for tricuspid valve regurgitation. In some embodiments, such belts may be heat-set in a particular configuration to effectively decrease tricuspid annulus when deployed around the atrioventricular groove. Embodiments include one or more tensioning sutures for applying cinching or tightening to belts when deployed, and structure for effectively distributing force during such tightening.

Belt for applying pressure to a bodily organ

Among other things, there are disclosed embodiments of belts or bands that can be used in treatments for tricuspid valve regurgitation. In some embodiments, such belts may be heat-set in a particular configuration to effectively decrease tricuspid annulus when deployed around the atrioventricular groove. Embodiments include one or more tensioning sutures for applying cinching or tightening to belts when deployed, and structure for effectively distributing force during such tightening. Embodiments of tensioning members, protective members, and devices and methods for open-surgical placement (e.g. around a heart for annuloplasty) are also disclosed.

Systems and methods for applying pressure to a bodily organ

Among other things, there are disclosed embodiments of devices used for minimally-invasive treatments, such as treatment of mitral valves. In a system for placing an annuloplasty belt around the heart, embodiments for tensioning a suture associated with the belt are provided, as are embodiments of a suture lock for holding the suture with the applied tension. A delivery device that permits placement and tensioning of such a belt and activation of the suture lock in one procedure is also disclosed. Methods for making and using these features are also disclosed.

Devices for placement and fixation of annuloplasty belt

Among other things, there is disclosed structure and methods for maintaining access to a location in the body while reducing or eliminating the potential for pulling an access device (e.g. a catheter) back through an opening. An introducer sheath includes a distal indented portion and a balloon, so that once placed in a desired location through tissue, the balloon can be inflated to anchor the sheath against retraction. In particular embodiments, structure and methods for accessing the pericardial cavity via the right atrial appendage are shown.

Vascular anchoring introducer sheath

There are shown and described embodiments of a closure device for closing holes in tissue, for example in the right atrial appendage. The closure device in particular embodiments includes first and second mesh closure members and a tether or stem connecting them. Embodiments of a delivery device for the closure device are also described.

Closing device for tissue openings

Among other things, there are shown embodiments of locking mechanisms for holding sutures in tension. Such devices may be used with implants that use or require sutures, and are easily locked remotely. In particular embodiments, a lock includes a housing member, a pin member at least partially within the housing member, and a spring biasing the pin member into the housing member. The pin member includes a gripping portion, and has a retracted condition and a locked condition. When retracted, a suture can move through the housing member and around the gripping portion of the pin member. When locked, the gripping portion of the pin member engages the suture and presses it against the interior of the housing member.

Suture lock device

Disclosed are embodiments of devices and methods for imaging the inside of a body part, such as a blood vessel. In particular embodiments, a catheter has a chamber within which is a transducer. A wire guide channel extends throughout the length of the catheter. The transducer is rotatable about the wire guide channel and the transducer is driven by a cable or other device that is connected to a motor which is located outside the catheter. In one form, a torque cable connects the transducer to the motor. In other embodiments, a pusher piece having a plurality of lumens is positioned in the catheter. Each of the lumens is sized to receive a cable, wire, and/or flushing fluid. The lumens maintain the orientation and separation of the cables, wires, and/or to flushing fluid.

Over-the-wire ultrasound system with torque-cable driven rotary transducer

There are disclosed embodiments of devices and methods for imaging the inside of a body part, particularly a blood vessel. In particular embodiments, a catheter has a tip chamber, within which is an ultrasound transducer mounted on a pivot mechanism, a motor for turning the transducer, and an implement for pivoting the transducer. Examples of such an implement are a linear motor, a shaft or filament, and the pivot mechanism may be biased to return to a base position when the implement is not pivoting the transducer. In other embodiments, a mirror reflecting ultrasound signals from the transducer may be rotated and/or pivoted, using similar mechanisms.

Internal ultrasound assembly with port for fluid injection

The present embodiments provide systems and methods for deploying at least a portion of a stent. In one embodiment, the system comprises a cannula having an outer surface, and at least one coiled member having proximal and distal ends and a plurality of turns disposed therebetween. One of the proximal and distal ends of the coiled member is secured to the outer surface of the cannula, and the other of the proximal and distal ends of the coiled member is unsecured relative to the outer surface of the cannula. A portion of a stent is looped around the unsecured end of the coiled member and disposed within spacing between adjacent turns of the coiled member. Rotation of the cannula subsequently causes the portion of the stent to disengage from the coiled member.

Systems and methods for deploying a portion of a stent using at least one coiled member

A prosthesis delivery device having a cannula with an expandable positioning device disposed at the proximal end thereof is disclosed. A prosthesis is retained on the cannula distal of the expandable device. Expansion of the expandable device retains and centers the delivery device and the prosthesis carried thereon in the vessel and allows repositioning of the prosthesis without contacting the proximal end of the prosthesis with the vessel walls prior to deployment.

Delivery device with an expandable positioner for positioning a prosthesis

A filling and sealing system is provided for efficiently filling a series of individual vials with therapeutic liquids. In particular embodiments, the system includes a filling zone or station, a sealing zone or station, an unloading zone or station, and electronic controls.

Systems and methods for filling and sealing vials

Devices and methods for obtaining a real-time, three-dimensional image of a body part, particularly a blood vessel. A catheter has a chamber in its tip. The chamber contains an ultrasound transducer and reflector which generally face each other and rotate about a common axis. The transducer element on the transducer and the reflective face on the reflector are both tilted off-axis. The difference in angular velocity generally creates a phase shift between the transducer and the reflective face. The phase shift allows the transducer and the reflective face to actively scan a three-dimensional volume that is generally bounded interiorly by a hyperboloid and exteriorly by the effective range of the ultrasound beam. The transducer and reflector may rotate at constant speeds or nonconstant speeds as well in the same direction or in opposite directions.

Device for three-dimensional, internal ultrasound with rotating transducer and rotating reflector

The present embodiments provide systems and methods for deploying at least a portion of a stent. In one embodiment, the system comprises a cannula having an outer surface, and an auger having a plurality of turns coupled to the outer surface of the cannula. A stent has a portion dimensioned to be disposed within a valley of the auger. Rotation of the cannula and the auger advances the portion of the stent in a predetermined longitudinal direction.

Systems and methods for deploying a portion of a stent using an auger-style device

Growing community of inventors

West Lafayette, IN, United States of America

William John Havel