Devices and methods of repairing cardiac valves

Abstract

Devices and methods are provided for securing leaflets of a cardiac valve together. The subject devices include an assembly having a fastener, means for temporarily securing the fastener to the leaflets and means for permanently securing the fastener to the leaflets and means for anchoring the fastener to the heart wall. The subject methods are characterized by temporarily grasping the leaflets of a valve together at an apposition point, assessing at least one of blood flow and pressure gradient across said valve, determining whether to permanently secure the valve leaflets at said selected apposition point based upon at least one of the measured blood flow and pressure gradient, and performing one of permanently attaching the leaflets together at the apposition site or releasing the grasped leaflets. Also included are assemblies which include a subject device and a delivery device and may include a pressure monitoring member and/or a flow monitoring member. Kits which include the subject devices are also provided.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.