Abstract:
An expandable hybrid stent having metallic rings and polymer interconnecting links is disclosed. One embodiment of the stent has radially expandable cylindrical rings generally aligned on a common axis and interconnected by one or more polymer links that attach at formations formed in the rings. The polymer links have sufficient column strength to keep the rings from collapsing together axially. The formations may be holes, notches, grooves, channels, dovetails, or the like and the links wrap around, pass through, or lie on the formations. The junction of the link and ring at the formation is then melted and allowed to solidify. Alternatively, beads may be formed on either side of where the link passes through a hole in the ring thus securing the ring to the link.
Abstract:
The invention is directed to an expandable stent for implantation in a body lumen, such as a coronary artery. The stent consists of radially expandable cylindrical rings generally aligned on a common axis and interconnected by one or more links. At least some of the links are formed of a polymer material providing longitudinal and flexural flexibility to the stent while maintaining sufficient column strength to space the rings along the longitudinal axis.
Abstract:
The invention is directed to an expandable stent for implantation in a body lumen, such as a coronary artery. The stent consists of radially expandable cylindrical rings generally aligned on a common axis and interconnected by one or more links. At least some of the links are formed of a polymer material providing longitudinal and flexural flexibility to the stent while maintaining sufficient column strength to space the rings along the longitudinal axis.
Abstract:
Methods, instruments and systems are provided for separating opposite walls of the stomach by extragastric application of suction. Plication of the stomach can be performed between the separated walls after which the separate walls are brought back toward one another. In another aspect, methods, instruments, devices and systems are provided for reducing the effective volume of a stomach by performing one or more extragastric plications of the stomach.
Abstract:
A strut pattern of an endoprosthesis includes a plurality of W-shape cells that define a tubular body, the W-shaped cells at the opposite ends of the tubular body have a modified configuration that is different than the W-shaped cells at the middle portion of the tubular body. At the distal end of the tubular body, the W-shaped cells have crests with axial positions that are axially spaced apart, and have troughs with circumferential positions that are spaced apart. At the intermediate and distal end of the tubular body, the W-shaped cells crests with axial positions that coincide and have troughs with circumferential positions that coincide. The strut pattern is cut from a tubular precursor construct made of PLLA that has been radially expanded and axially extended by blow molding.
Abstract:
Methods, instruments and systems are provided for separating opposite walls of the stomach by extragastric application of suction. Plication of the stomach can be performed between the separated walls after which the separate walls are brought back toward one another. In another aspect, methods, instruments, devices and systems are provided for reducing the effective volume of a stomach by performing one or more extragastric plications of the stomach.
Abstract:
Methods and systems of fabricating a polymeric stent are disclosed herein. Methods are disclosed that include forming a polymeric tube using extrusion, radially deforming the formed tube so that the deformed tube comprises a target diameter, forming a stent from the deformed tube, and forming a stent from the deformed tube. The stent is formed by laser machining a stent pattern in the deformed tube with an ultra-short pulse laser. Disclosed methods further include crimping the stent on a support element, wherein a temperature of the stent during crimping is above an ambient temperature.
Abstract:
Methods, systems, devices and assemblies are provided for treating a patient by: making an incision or puncture though the patient's skin over the abdominal cavity; establishing an initial tract through an opening formed by the incision or puncture; advancing an instrument through the tract; contacting a distal end portion of the instrument against an inner surface of the abdominal cavity; driving at least one stitching needle through the inner surface of the abdominal cavity; continuing the driving until the at least one stitching needle exits the inner surface of the abdominal cavity; anchoring a suture carried by each of the at least one stitching needle to a suture anchor at an exit location, respectively; and applying tension to each of the sutures.
Abstract:
A blow molding apparatus for expanding a polymer tube and a method for fabricating a stent using the apparatus is disclosed. The polymer tube is disposed within a tubular mold, over which a heated ring is made of a material having thermal conductivity greater than the tubular mold is translated. The ring is heated with heated fluid streams applied directly onto an outer surface of the ring, or heated fluid circulated within the ring, or an electrically resistive coil within the ring, or combinations thereof. The heated ring uniformly heats a circumference of the tubular mold that, in turn, uniformly heats a circumferential band of the polymer tube. The heated polymer tube is progressively expanded radially and axially while the ring is translated longitudinally over the polymer tube. The expanded polymer tube can be heat set and cooled prior to removal from the tubular mold.