Edwards Lifesciences Corporation

Yong Gao

Pu Zhou

Erik E Bulman

Yidong M Zhu

Baigui Bian

David D Williams

Thanh Huy Le

Tung Thanh Le

Michael G Valdez

John Michael Sakalowsky

Sonny Tran

Richard D White

Vincent Shotton

Timothy A Geiser

Alpana Kiran Gowdar

Jeffrey Wu

Tianwen Zhao

Dan Ammon

David Delon Williams

Randall Maxwell

Glenn Gomes-Casseres

Conor Sheehan

A delivery sheath includes an outer tubular layer and an initially folded inner tubular layer. When an implant passes therethrough, the outer tubular layer expands and the inner tubular layer unfolds into an expanded lumen diameter. The sheath may also include selectively placed longitudinal support rods that mediate friction between the inner and outer tubular layers to facilitate easy expansion, thereby reducing the push force needed to advance the implant through the sheath's lumen.

Expandable sheath

An implantable prosthetic valve assembly, according to one embodiment, comprises a frame assembly including a plurality of struts and a prosthetic valve secured inside the frame assembly by sutures. At least one of the plurality of spaced struts contains at least one hole that passes from one side of the at least one strut to another side of the at least one strut and a recess disposed around the hole.

Heart valve frame design with non-uniform struts

An implantable prosthetic valve assembly, according to one embodiment, comprises a frame assembly including a plurality of struts and a prosthetic valve secured inside the frame assembly by sutures. The sutures are inward of the outermost surface of an outer periphery of the frame assembly. In certain embodiments the struts contain recesses in which sutures can be disposed. In other embodiments, the struts can have holes through them which the sutures pass through. The implantable prosthetic valve assembly can also be collapsed within a catheter such that an outermost surface of a periphery of the frame assembly touches the catheter but the sutures are spaced apart from the catheter or are flush with the outer surface of the frame.

An expandable introducer sheath for passage of implant delivery catheters, such as catheters for delivery of prosthetic heart valves. The expandable sheath balances the amounts, shapes and positions of various stiff and elastic structures in the sheath to selectively program the expandability and buckling stiffness of the sheath. The expandable sheath can include, for example, an expandable tubular layer that includes alternating stiff and elastic wall portions of a single radial thickness. The combination of stiff and elastic wall portions allow for torque and push strength to advance the expandable sheath while at the same time accommodating temporary expansion. The expandable sheath can also be reinforced with a tubular layer of braided fibers or a stent structure for additional strength. Other embodiments include selective use of slots or gaps at the distal end of a stiff wall portion to enhance expandability and distribute strain.

Expandable sheath with elastomeric cross sectional portions

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Irvine, CA, United States of America

Yong Gao