A system comprising a heart valve repair device and a delivery device,
- wherein the heart valve repair device comprises:
- a ventricular winding that in an unconstrained condition has a generally spiral shape, wherein the ventricular winding emanates from an area at or near a center of the ventricular winding and moves away from the center of the ventricular winding as it winds around the center of the ventricular winding, wherein the ventricular winding comprises at least a first turn and a second turn, wherein at least the first turn is a full turn extending 360 degrees around the center of the ventricular winding, wherein in a radial direction from the center of the ventricular winding the second turn is farther away from the center of the ventricular winding than the first turn, and wherein the ventricular winding is adapted to be positioned on a ventricular side of the heart valve such that chords associated with the heart valve are positioned between adjacent turns of the ventricular winding within a generally spiral path defined by the generally spiral shape of the ventricular winding;
- and
- a grasping element connected to the center of the ventricular winding and extending from the center of the ventricular winding, wherein the grasping element extends upwardly from a general plane of the ventricular winding;
- wherein the ventricular winding has a primary portion and an end portion, wherein the grasping element extends from the primary portion of the ventricular winding on a first side of the primary portion of the ventricular winding, and wherein the end portion of the ventricular winding is angled away from the primary portion of the ventricular winding on a second side of the primary portion of the ventricular winding;
- wherein the heart valve repair device is free of any atrial stabilizing section;
- wherein the delivery device is adapted to deliver the heart valve repair device to an area of a heart valve, wherein the delivery device comprises an applicator tube and an internal rod within the applicator tube;
- wherein the heart valve repair device is adapted to be advanced to the area of the heart valve with the grasping element releasably engaged with the delivery device and with the ventricular winding held within the applicator tube of the delivery device in a constrained condition in which the ventricular winding has a relatively straightened shape;
- wherein the ventricular winding is adapted to be released from the applicator tube, thereby allowing the ventricular winding to assume the unconstrained condition in which it has the generally spiral shape;
- wherein the ventricular winding is further adapted to be positioned on the ventricular side of the heart valve and turned in a first direction such that the ventricular winding captures chords associated with a first leaflet of the heart valve and chords associated with a second leaflet of the heart valve within the generally spiral path defined by the generally spiral shape of the ventricular winding, wherein by turning the ventricular winding in the first direction, the captured chords of the first leaflet and the second leaflet within the generally spiral path are brought inwardly to a desired position within the generally spiral path, thereby causing the first leaflet and the second leaflet of the heart valve to be drawn together;
- and
- wherein the heart valve repair device is adapted to be released from the delivery device.