Method and system for treating valve stenosis
AssigneeAngioScore, Inc.
InventorsGary Gershony, David Doty
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A valvuloplasty catheter comprises a balloon or other expansible shell which carries a plurality of scoring elements, typically formed in an elastic, self-closing metal cage. The expansible shell and scoring elements are positioned inside an aortic or other cardiac valve, and the shell expanded to engage the scoring elements against stenotic material which covers the valve leaflets and valve annulus. The scoring elements uniformly distributed force to break up the stenotic material, and the cage further contributes to rapid balloon deflation allowing shortening of the treatment time.
Claims6
A method for treating cardiac valve stenoses, said method comprising:
- positioning an expansible shell inside a stenosed cardiac valve annulus;
- expanding the shell to engage a plurality of scoring elements present on an external surface of the shell against the annulus;
- maintaining the shell expansion for a time sufficient for the scoring elements to disrupt the stenoses;
- and
- contracting the shell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.