Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
Pellegrini Niamh Louise
  2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
THORATEC CORP [THOR]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
President, North America
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
6035 STONERIDGE DRIVE
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
10/08/2015
(Street)

PLEASANTON, CA 94588
4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)
5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)
6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 10/08/2015   A   11,228 (1) A $ 0 51,928 D  
Common Stock 10/08/2015   D   51,928 D $ 63.5 0 D  

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)
6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)
7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)
8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)
9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)
10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Non-Qualified Stock Options (Right to Buy) $ 25.775 10/08/2015   D     74,627   (2) 10/15/2024 Common Stock 74,627 $ 37.725 (2) 0 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
Pellegrini Niamh Louise
6035 STONERIDGE DRIVE
PLEASANTON, CA 94588
      President, North America  

Signatures

 /s/ Kashif Rashid, Attorney-in-Fact   10/08/2015
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Represents time based vesting Restricted Stock Units ("RSUs") issued upon the settlement of Performance Share Units ("PSUs") of the Issuer. The PSUs were accelerated in full (with performance-based conditions for such units treated as having been obtained at the "maximum" level), and, immediately thereafter, vesting of the underlying RSUs were accelerated in full immediately prior to the Issuer's merger with St. Jude Medical, Inc., a Minnesota corporation.
(2) This option, which provided for vesting in four equal annual installments commencing one year after October 15, 2014, was cancelled pursuant to the terms and conditions of an Agreement and Plan of Merger executed by the Issuer in exchange for a cash payment equal to (i) the number of shares of Issuer common stock underlying the option multiplied by (ii) the excess of $63.50 over the per share exercise price of such option.

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