Prosthetic valve, delivery apparatus and delivery method

A delivery catheter for a prosthetic heart valve, the valve expandable from a collapsed condition for delivery to an expanded condition for implantation, the delivery catheter, comprising:

• a holder for engaging the valve in the collapsed state of the valve, the holder including an engagement region for engaging at least a portion of the prosthetic heart valve for restraining axial displacement of the prosthetic valve in at least one axial direction of the catheter when the valve is in the collapsed condition around the holder;
• a sheath translatable with respect to the holder between a first position in which the sheath surrounds at least a first portion of the holder, and a second position in which the sheath does not surround the first portion of the holder and wherein the sheath translates in a longitudinal direction of the delivery catheter when moving from the first position to the second position;
• a multi-limbed member adjacent the holder;
• and
• an interface member on a longitudinal opposite side of the holder from the multi-limbed member for (i) bridging a gap between the holder and the sheath when in the second position, and/or (ii) defining a generally smooth interface surface between the holder and the sheath when in the second position;
• wherein the engagement region of the holder comprises one or more male and/or female engagement regions for mating and/or interlocking engagement with the prosthetic valve, and wherein the engagement region, and the multi-limbed member having at least one stop surface associated with the engagement region, are relatively movable with respect to each other;
• wherein the engagement region of the holder comprises at least one projection, and the at least one stop surface is movable to reduce the projection height of the projection.

A delivery catheter for a prosthetic heart valve, the valve expandable from a collapsed condition for delivery to an expanded condition for implantation, the delivery catheter, comprising:

• a holder for engaging the valve in the collapsed state of the valve, the holder including an engagement region for engaging at least a portion of the prosthetic heart valve for restraining axial displacement of the prosthetic valve in at least one axial direction of the catheter when the valve is in the collapsed condition around the holder;
• a sheath translatable with respect to the holder between a first position in which the sheath surrounds at least a first portion of the holder, and a second position in which the sheath does not surround the first portion of the holder and wherein the sheath translates in a longitudinal direction of the delivery catheter when moving from the first position to the second position;
• a multi-limbed member adjacent the holder;
• and
• an interface member on a longitudinal opposite side of the holder from the multi-limbed member for (i) bridging a gap between the holder and the sheath when in the second position, and/or (ii) defining a generally smooth interface surface between the holder and the sheath when in the second position;
• wherein the engagement region of the holder comprises one or more male and/or female engagement regions for mating and/or interlocking engagement with the prosthetic valve, and wherein the engagement region, and the multi-limbed member having at least one stop surface associated with the engagement region, are relatively movable with respect to each other;
• wherein the at least one stop surface comprises an aperture through which a male engagement region of the holder can project.