St. Jude Medical, Cardiology Division, Inc.

Aspects of the disclosure provide a delivery device for a prosthetic heart valve, the delivery device includes a retaining element with a recess arranged to receive a corresponding tab of the prosthetic heart valve. The recess may be shaped to progressively reduce contact with the respective tab as the prosthetic heart valve expands from its collapsed condition to its expanded condition. The recess may include a tapered base. The retaining element may include one or more secondary recesses arranged to receive one or more struts of the prosthetic heart valve. A prosthetic heart valve may also be provided, in which the tab is set at an angle directed away from a plane of struts connecting the tab and/or the tab may include a biasing element arranged to bias the tab away from the recess when the tab is in the recess.

A system for occluding a left atrial appendage (“LAA”) includes a delivery device and an LAA occluder. The LAA occluder has an indicator electrode coupled to a connector electrode via a conducting wire. The delivery device has a connector with a connector electrode configured to be coupled to a navigation system via a conducting wire. During implantation, the delivery device is coupled to the LAA occluder so that the connector electrodes are electrically coupled, resulting in the indicator electrode being conductively coupled to the navigation system. After the LAA occluder is deployed into the LAA, the delivery device is disconnected from the LAA occluder to allow the LAA occluder to remain in the patient.

A medical device for occluding a left atrial appendage, LAA, the medical device comprising a single occlusive member configured to occlude an ostium of the LAA in a deployed condition of the medical device, wherein the occlusive member is a disc-shaped portion, and wherein the medical device is configured to be attached only to the ostium of the LAA.

A method of authenticating devices utilizes a central ledger distributed to a plurality of local systems includes storing a unique identifier locally on each device, modifying a central ledger to include an entry associated with the unique identifier and communicating the central ledger to a plurality of local systems for storage. To authorize a device, the local system receives a unique identifier from a connected device and searches the local ledger to verify/authenticate the validity of the connected device for use in the local system. The local system may then modify an entry in the local ledger associated with the unique identifier to reflect use and communicate the modified local ledger from each of the plurality of local systems to the centralized system. The central system then modifies the central ledger based on the received local ledger and communicates the modified central ledger to a local system.

A pull wire assembly for a steerable medical device includes a wire lock and a wire. The lock includes a core having a frustoconical outer surface and an annular collar including a frustoconical inner surface complementary to the outer surface of the core. The core is inserted into the collar. The wire is inhibited against distal movement by a compressive force arising within the wire lock when the frustoconical surfaces of the core and collar are forced against each other. The wire may be inserted into the lock between the collar and the core, such that it is pinned therebetween. Alternatively, the wire may be inserted through an interior of the core, such that it is pinned between pieces of the core, such as a plurality of tines or two halves of the core.

A transseptal catheterization apparatus includes an electrically-conductive core, an energy delivery element at the distal end of the core, a coil or insulative filler surrounding at least a portion of the core, and an insulative jacket surrounding at least a portion of the core. The coil may be radially adjacent the core with the insulative jacket surrounding the coil. Alternatively, the insulative jacket may be radially adjacent the core and the coil may surround the insulative jacket. The energy delivery element may be a tip electrode conductively coupled to the core. An insulative bushing may be positioned between the tip electrode and the coil to electrically isolate the tip electrode from the coil. The exterior surface(s) of the energy delivery element and/or the coil may be dimpled or roughened.

A medical device is provided in which one or both ends of the device encourage the formation of tissue across substantially the entire area of the respective end that is exposed to the blood flow for reducing the risk of a thrombotic embolism. The medical device includes a tubular structure having at least one expanded volume portion and a tapered transition portion. The tubular structure may be made through the braiding of a number of strands, and a first end feature may be used to secure the proximal strand ends. The proximal strand ends may be secured via the proximal end of the first end feature, such that the tapered transition portion is formed over the circumferential surface of the first end feature, and only a proximal end surface (or a portion of the proximal end surface) of the first end feature is exposed to the path of flowing blood.

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to intravascular electrophysiology catheters which utilize electrodes on flexible electronic circuit(s) to facilitate reduced assembly complexity and cost. In one example embodiment, a distal tip assembly of an electrophysiology catheter is disclosed. The distal tip assembly including a catheter shaft, flexible circuitry, and a distal tip coupled to a distal end of the catheter shaft. The catheter shaft includes an outer surface with a trench extending into the outer surface, and the flexible circuitry is inserted into the trench and coupled to the catheter shaft. The flexible circuitry includes one or more electrodes configured and arranged to sense electrophysiological characteristics of tissue.

In some examples, a delivery device includes a handle, a sheath defining a lumen and extending distally from the handle, and a hemostasis valve positioned at a proximal end of the handle, the hemostasis valve being located proximal the sheath, the hemostasis valve being rotatable relative to at least one of the sheath and the handle.

A prosthetic heart valve includes a frame and a plurality of prosthetic leaflets mounted within the frame. A first one of the plurality of prosthetic leaflets includes a fixation mechanism. The fixation mechanism may be configured to increase a maximum dimension of one of the plurality of leaflets over a period of time in situ. The fixation mechanism may alternatively or additionally restrict mobility of one or more of the prosthetic leaflets to induce regurgitation when the prosthetic heart valve is implanted. The fixation mechanism may transition over time so that the amount of intentional regurgitation reduces over time, including reducing to substantially zero regurgitation, or any other intentionally designed level of regurgitation. The intentional regurgitation may allow the heart to safely acclimate to new pressure dynamics over time after the implantation.