Apparatus and method for treating a regurgitant valve
AssigneeThe Cleveland Clinic Foundation
InventorsSamir Kapadia, Jay Yadav
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for treating regurgitation of blood through a diseased valve having at least one leaflet includes a valve member having a support structure with a diameter and at least one valvular leaflet attached to the support structure. The valve member is dimensioned so that at least one leaflet of the diseased valve abuts at least one surface of the valve member to mitigate regurgitation of blood through the diseased valve. The apparatus further includes a suspending mechanism operatively coupled to the valve member. The suspending mechanism is configured so that the valve member is freely suspended within the diseased valve.
Claims20
An apparatus for treating regurgitation of blood through a diseased valve having at least one leaflet, said apparatus comprising:
- a valve member comprising a support structure with a diameter and at least one valvular leaflet attached to said support structure, said valve member being dimensioned so that at least one leaflet of the diseased valve abuts at least one surface of said valve member to mitigate regurgitation of blood through the diseased valve;
- and
- a suspending mechanism operatively coupled to said valve member, said suspending mechanism configured so that said valve member is freely suspended within the diseased valve.
A method for treating regurgitation of blood through a diseased valve, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing an apparatus comprising a valve member and a suspending mechanism operatively coupled to the valve member, the valve member comprising a support structure with a diameter and at least one valvular leaflet attached to the support structure;
- positioning a balloon in the diseased valve to determine the size and shape of the diseased valve;
- selecting a valve member having a size and shape that corresponds to the size and shape of the diseased valve so that at least one leaflet of the diseased valve coapts with the valve member;
- introducing the apparatus into a patient's vasculature;
- and
- positioning the apparatus in the diseased valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.