A system for accessing a patient's cardiac anatomy which includes an endovascular aortic partitioning device that separates the coronary arteries and the heart from the rest of the patient's arterial system. The endovascular device for partitioning a patient's ascending aorta comprises a flexible shaft having a distal end, a proximal end, and a first inner lumen therebetween with an opening at the distal end. The shaft may have a preshaped distal portion with a curvature generally corresponding to the curvature of the patient's aortic arch. An expandable means, e.g. a balloon, is disposed near the distal end of the shaft proximal to the opening in the first inner lumen for occluding the ascending aorta so as to block substantially all blood flow therethrough for a plurality of cardiac cycles, while the patient is supported by cardiopulmonary bypass. The endovascular aortic partitioning device may be coupled to an arterial bypass cannula for delivering oxygenated blood to the patient's arterial system. The heart muscle or myocardium is paralyzed by the retrograde delivery of a cardioplegic fluid to the myocardium through patient's coronary sinus and coronary veins, or by antegrade delivery of cardioplegic fluid through a lumen in the endovascular aortic partitioning device to infuse cardioplegic fluid into the coronary arteries. The pulmonary trunk may be vented by withdrawing liquid from the trunk through an inner lumen of an elongated catheter. The cardiac accessing system is particularly suitable for removing the aortic valve and replacing the removed valve with a prosthetic valve.

System for cardiac procedures

An artificial heart valve comprises a relatively rigid stent member having a first cylindrical shape and a flexible valve disposed in the stent member, the stent member being self-expandable to a second cylindrical shape and collapsible to its first cylindrical shape. The valve comprises a circular portion comprising a plurality of leaflets extending from the periphery of the circular portion towards the center thereof, the leaflets being configured to allow for flow of blood through the valve in one direction only. The diameter of the circular portion is substantially the same as the inside diameter of the stent member when the stent member is in its second cylindrical shape, the valve member being attached to the stent member.

Artificial heart valve and method and device for implanting the same

An emboli capturing system captures emboli in a body lumen. A first elongate member has a proximal end and a distal end. An expandable emboli capturing device is mounted proximate the distal end of the first elongate member, and is movable between a radially expanded position and a radially contracted position. When in the expanded position, the emboli capturing device forms a basket with a proximally opening mouth. A second elongate member has a proximal and a distal end with a lumen extending therebetween. The lumen is sized to slidably receive a portion of the first elongate member. An expandable delivery device is mounted to the distal end of the second elongate member and is movable from a radially retracted position to a radially expanded position. The delivery device has a receiving end configured to receive the emboli capturing device, and retains at least the mouth of the emboli capturing device in a radially retracted position.

Distal protection device and method

The present invention is a distal protection device for use with a delivery member. A filter assembly is located on the distal end of the delivery member. The filter is deployed distally of the region to be treated to capture emboli released during and immediately after the procedure. The filter is then retracted to retain any captured emboli and then removed from the patient.

Distal protection device

A dilating and support apparatus with disease inhibitors and methods for use is disclosed that is particularly useful for repairing and/or serving as a conduit for body passageways that require reinforcement, dilatation, disease prevention or the like. Such apparatuses are utilized to deliver a therapy, that therapy being from a family of devices, drugs, or any of a variety of other elements to a specific location within the body. The instant disclosure provides a system of combining a novel radial deployment and/or drug delivery therapy with existing balloon dilatation therapy into one device. This combination will yield a significant decrease in cost to the healthcare system as well as providing a therapy to the patient with increased safety and efficacy. Further, the instant invention provides a novel and improved platform for synthetic/tissue interface between the device and the body.

Dilating and support apparatus with disease inhibitors and methods for use

An angioplasty device and particle trap for use in removal of a particle from a small diameter vessel or vessel-like structure is disclosed. One embodiment includes a catheter for insertion into a vessel-like structure, the catheter having a catheter wall and a movable member, a trap operably connected to the catheter wall and to the movable member, wherein relative motion between the catheter wall and the movable member actuates the trap. In one embodiment, the expanded trap is formed from struts in a spiral-shaped configuration. In one embodiment, the contracted trap forms a waist to creates a pinch-point to trap particles. In one embodiment, the contracted trap forms a cocoon-like structure to further trap particles. In one embodiment, the angioplasty device includes a handle to actuate the trap from a contracted position to an expanded position and return to a contracted position. The handle provides rotational or longitudinal or both types of movement to actuate the trap.

Harold D. Kletschka

Papers

Angioplasty device and method of making same