Low profile delivery system for transcatheter heart valve

An apparatus for delivering a prosthetic heart valve to a patient's native aortic valve, the apparatus comprising:

• a steerable guide catheter having a handle portion and an elongated guide tube extending from the handle portion, the elongated guide tube having a distal end portion comprising a steerable section, the guide catheter further comprising an adjustment device on the handle portion and a pull wire operatively connecting the adjustment device to the steerable section, wherein the adjustment device comprises a rotatable knob, and wherein rotating the knob relative to the handle portion changes a curvature of the steerable section;
• a balloon catheter comprising an elongated shaft extending coaxially through the guide tube, the shaft comprising a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the balloon catheter further comprising an inflatable balloon mounted on the distal end portion of the shaft;
• and
• a flex indicator that moves axially relative to the knob and the guide tube upon rotation of the knob relative to the handle portion, wherein the handle portion restricts rotational movement of the flex indicator relative to the handle portion, and
• wherein the handle portion comprises one or more visual indicators adjacent the flex indicator to provide visual indication of the curvature of the steerable section.

An apparatus for indicating flex of a distal end of a catheter, the apparatus comprising:

• a guide catheter having an elongated first shaft with a distal end portion, a proximal end portion, and a lumen extending from the distal end portion to the proximal end portion, wherein the lumen of the guide catheter is configured for receiving an elongated second shaft of a balloon catheter;
• at least one wire connected to the distal end portion of the first shaft;
• a handle portion comprising a flex activating member, the flex activating member being coupled to the at least one wire such that adjustment of the flex activating member causes the distal end portion of the first shaft to flex;
• and
• a flex indicating member,
• wherein adjustment of the flex activating member causes the flex indicating member to move longitudinally relative to the flex activating member and the first shaft to indicate an amount of flex of the distal end portion of the first shaft.

An apparatus for delivering a prosthetic heart valve to a patient's native aortic valve, the apparatus comprising:

• a steerable guide catheter having a handle portion and an elongated guide tube extending from the handle portion, the elongated guide tube having a distal end portion comprising a steerable section, the guide catheter further comprising an adjustment mechanism on the handle portion and a pull wire operatively connecting the adjustment mechanism to the steerable section for changing flexion of the steerable section via manual adjustment of the adjustment mechanism;
• a balloon catheter comprising an elongated shaft extending coaxially through the guide tube, the shaft comprising a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the balloon catheter further comprising an inflatable balloon mounted on the distal end portion of the shaft;
• and
• a flex indicator that moves relative to the handle portion upon manual adjustment of the adjustment mechanism,
• wherein the handle portion comprises a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, and visual indicia adjacent the flex indicator to provide visual indication of the flexion of the steerable section, wherein the flex indicator moves toward the proximal end portion of the handle portion when the flexion of the steerable section is increased, and wherein the flex indicator moves toward the distal end portion of the handle portion when the flexion of the steerable section is decreased.

An apparatus for delivering a prosthetic heart valve to a patient's native aortic valve, the apparatus comprising:

• a steerable guide catheter having a handle portion and an elongated guide tube extending from the handle portion, the elongated guide tube having a distal end portion comprising a steerable section, the guide catheter further comprising an adjustment mechanism on the handle portion and a pull wire operatively connecting the adjustment mechanism to the steerable section for changing flexion of the steerable section via manual adjustment of the adjustment mechanism;
• a balloon catheter comprising an elongated shaft extending coaxially through the guide tube, the shaft comprising a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the balloon catheter further comprising an inflatable balloon mounted on the distal end portion of the shaft;
• and
• a flex indicator that moves relative to the handle portion upon manual adjustment of the adjustment mechanism,
• wherein the handle portion comprises an elongated slot and visual indicia adjacent the flex indicator, wherein the flex indicator moves parallel to a length of the slot upon manual adjustment of the adjustment mechanism, and wherein the visual indicia provide visual indication of the flexion of the steerable section.