Retaining Mechanisms for Prosthetic Valves
AssigneeEdwards Lifesciences Corporation
InventorsOded Meiri, Tamir Levi, Ofir Witzman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems used to deliver a prosthetic heart valve to a deficient valve. In one embodiment, for instance, a support member is positioned to at least partially surround the native leaflets of a valve. A locking member is used to couple both ends of the support member, forming a support band. An expandable prosthetic heart valve is delivered into the native heart valve and expanded while the expandable prosthetic valve is at least partially within the support band, thereby causing one or more of the native leaflets of the native heart valve to be frictionally secured between the support band and the expanded prosthetic heart valve.
Claims22
A method, comprising:
- advancing a support member so that the support member at least partially surrounds native leaflets of a heart valve, the support member comprising a locking member coupled to a proximal end of the support member;
- advancing a distal end of the support member to engage the locking member and couple the distal end of the support member to the locking member to form a closed loop support band that at least partially surrounds the native leaflets;
- and
- expanding a prosthetic heart valve inside the closed loop support band so that the native leaflets are in contact with an outside surface of the prosthetic device and an inside surface of the support band.
A support band for at least partially surrounding native leaflets of a heart valve to facilitate the securing of a prosthetic device in the valve annulus by frictionally engaging the native leaflets between the support band and the prosthetic valve, the support band comprising:
- an elongate support member having a proximal end and a distal end;
- and
- a locking member coupled to the proximal end of the support member, the locking member having a receiving area and a securing member,
- wherein the securing member is configured to restrict proximal movement of the distal end of the support member relative to the locking member when the distal end of the support member is advanced into the receiving area.
A delivery system for encircling native leaflets of a heart valve to deliver a support band that at least partially surrounds the native leaflets, the system comprising:
- a delivery catheter with a lumen of a first diameter;
- a precurved catheter with a lumen and an outer diameter that is smaller than the first diameter, the precurved catheter being receivable in the lumen of the delivery catheter and biased to return to a predetermined curved configuration when it is advanced out of an opening in the delivery catheter;
- and
- a precurved guidewire receivable in the lumen of the precurved catheter, the precurved guidewire being biased to return to a predetermined curved configuration when it is advanced out of the precurved catheter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.