Abstract:
Described is a valve prosthesis comprising: an annular structure, and a plurality of valve leaflets, and a plurality of anchoring members attached around the annular structure, the anchoring members including: a web portion coupled to the annular structure and extending axially thereto, and two end portions at axially opposed sides of the web portion, the end portions having: an insertion condition for insertion of the prosthesis, wherein the end portions are aligned to the web portion and extend axially with respect to the annular structure; and an anchoring condition for anchoring the prosthesis, wherein the end portions extend at an angle to the web portion radially outwardly of the annular structure to provide anchoring of the prosthesis proximally and distally, respectively, of the annulus, and wherein one end portion forms an obtuse angle with the web portion.
Abstract:
A method of washing blood mixed with undesirable elements not normally found in healthy whole blood to remove the undesirable elements, the method comprising: separating the blood into components according to relative densities of the components with a rotating centrifuge bowl; providing a port through which fluid exits the bowl, the exiting fluid having a concentration of undesirable elements; flowing washing solution into the centrifuge bowl at an initial flow rate; monitoring the fluid exiting the bowl with an optical sensor having an output signal indicative of the composition of the exiting fluid; and increasing and decreasing the flow rate of the wash solution as a function of the output signal.
Abstract:
A cardiac-valve prosthesis is adapted for percutaneous implantation. The prosthesis includes an armature adapted for deployment in a radially expanded implantation position, the armature including a support portion and an anchor portion, which are substantially axially coextensive with respect to one another. A set of leaflets is coupled to the support portion. The leaflets can be deployed with the armature in the implantation position. The leaflets define, in the implantation position, a flow duct that is selectably obstructable. The anchor portion can be deployed to enable anchorage of the cardiac-valve prosthesis at an implantation site.
Abstract:
A monitoring system for cardiac operations with cardiopulmonary bypass comprising: a processor operatively connected to a heart-lung machine; a pump flow detecting device connected to a pump of the heart-lung machine to continuously measure the pump flow value and send it to the processor; a hematocrit reading device inserted inside the arterial or venous line of the heart-lung machine to continuously measure the blood hematocrit value and to send it to the processor; a data input device to allow the operator to manually input data regarding the arterial oxygen saturation and the arterial oxygen tension; computing means integrated in the processor to compute the oxygen delivery value on the basis of the measured pump flow, the measured hematocrit value, the preset value of arterial oxygen saturation, and the preset value of arterial oxygen tension; and a display connected to the processor to display in real-time the computed oxygen delivery value.