Devices and methods for area reduction and closure of cardiac openings or cavities

A method for use at a heart of a subject, the method comprising:

• transluminally sliding multiple anchors distally over and along a first portion of a tether to the heart, and anchoring the multiple anchors to tissue of the heart, such that:
• the first portion of the tether extends transluminally to the heart,
• within the heart, a bight of the tether extends from the first portion and is secured to the tissue by the anchors, and
• a second portion of the tether extends from the bight to a second end of the tether;
• subsequently, slidably coupling the first portion of the tether to an end-portion retainer that is disposed at the second end of the tether such that the tether forms a closed loop;
• and
• subsequently, reducing a size of the loop by sliding the first portion through the slidable coupling,
• wherein the end-portion retainer is a terminal clamp comprising a hinged spring-biased gate, and wherein slidably coupling the first portion of the tether to the end-portion retainer comprises slidably coupling the first portion of the tether to the terminal clamp.

A method for use at a heart of a subject, the method comprising:

• transluminally sliding multiple anchors distally over and along a first portion of a tether to the heart, and anchoring the multiple anchors to tissue of the heart, such that:
• the first portion of the tether extends transluminally to the heart,
• within the heart, a bight of the tether extends from the first portion and is secured to the tissue by the anchors, and
• a second portion of the tether extends from the bight to a second end of the tether;
• subsequently, slidably coupling the first portion of the tether to the second end of the tether such that the tether forms a closed loop;
• subsequently, reducing a size of the loop by sliding the first portion through the slidable coupling;
• and
• locking the tether in the closed loop by intracardially locking a locker to the tether, wherein the locker includes:
• a housing defining a longitudinal axis, the housing including:
• a proximal wire opening formed at a proximal end of the housing,
• a distal wire opening formed at a distal end of the housing, and
• two distal actuation openings located on opposite sides of the distal wire opening at the distal end of the housing;
• two sliding and locking elements, aligned with the distal actuation openings, and movable toward or away from each other;
• and
• a spring pressed between a wall of the housing and the sliding and locking elements, configured to bias the sliding and locking elements distally and toward each other, in the absence of external force applied to the sliding and locking elements.