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

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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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