Devices and methods for delivering a prosthetic heart valve using supra-annular support

A delivery system for delivering and deploying a side-deliverable prosthetic heart valve that includes a transannular member configured to extend through an annulus of a native heart valve, a supra-annular member coupled to an upper edge of the transannular member, and a subannular member coupled to a lower edge of the transannular member, the delivery system comprising:

• a delivery sheath;
• a control device movable through a lumen of the delivery sheath, the control device including a control catheter and a connection member coupled to a distal end of the control catheter, the connection member configured to removably couple to a proximal portion of the supra-annular member of the prosthetic valve, the control device operable to advance the prosthetic valve in a compressed configuration through the lumen of the delivery sheath and into a chamber of a heart and deploy the prosthetic valve in an expanded configuration from the chamber of the heart into the annulus of the native heart valve;
• and
• a supra-annular support disposed outside of the control catheter and movable through the lumen of the delivery sheath, the supra-annular support being separate from the control catheter and configured to removably couple to an attachment point at or along a distal portion of the supra-annular member of the prosthetic valve, the supra-annular support configured to transition from a first state to a second state when the prosthetic valve is in the expanded configuration, the supra-annular support in the second state forming a substantially fixed-length connection between the delivery sheath and the distal portion of the supra-annular member of the prosthetic valve.

A method of delivering and deploying a side-deliverable prosthetic valve into a native valve annulus of a heart, the prosthetic valve including a transannular member configured to extend through the native valve annulus, a supra-annular member coupled to an upper edge of the transannular member, and a subannular member coupled to a lower edge of the transannular member, the method comprising:

• removably coupling a connection member of a control device to a proximal portion of the supra-annular member of the prosthetic valve;
• removably coupling a supra-annular support to an attachment point along a distal portion of the supra-annular member of the prosthetic valve, the supra-annular support being separate from and disposed outside of a control catheter of the control device and movable through a lumen of a delivery sheath;
• advancing the control device and the prosthetic valve in a compressed configuration through a lumen of a delivery catheter to place a distal end portion of the control device and the prosthetic valve into a chamber of the heart, the prosthetic valve in an expanded configuration when in the chamber of the heart;
• transitioning the supra-annular support from a first state to a second state to form a substantially rigid connection between a distal end of the delivery catheter and the distal portion of the supra-annular member;
• seating the prosthetic valve in the native valve annulus while the supra-annular support is in the second state;
• and
• decoupling each of the connection member of the control device and the supra-annular support from the supra-annular member of the prosthetic valve after the seating.