Atrioventricular regurgitation reduction system anchors

A system for anchoring an atrioventricular spacer within an atrioventricular valve between atrium and a ventricle, the valve having leaflets extending inward from a peripheral tissue annulus, comprising:

• a compressible and expandable spacer having a proximal end and a distal end and being sized to fit within the leaflets of the atrioventricular valve and configured to coapt against the leaflets to reduce regurgitation therebetween, the spacer having a long dimension with a length such that the proximal end resides within the atrium and the distal end resides within the ventricle, the spacer having a compressed delivery configuration and a radially expanded implant configuration;
• a suspension member connected to the proximal end of the spacer and extending proximally therefrom;
• a tubular slider coupling defining a longitudinal axis to which the suspension member is hingedly connected such that the long dimension of the spacer may be oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis or pivoted away from the longitudinal axis;
• a central shaft disposed concentrically through the slider coupling and adapted for sliding longitudinal movement relative to the slider coupling, the slider coupling having a locking mechanism that, when activated, prevents longitudinal movement of the slider coupling relative to the central shaft, the central shaft having a distal implant segment and a proximal delivery segment joined at a separable junction, wherein the segments may be decoupled to leave just the distal implant segment of the central shaft in the body;
• a distal stabilizing element fixedly attached to the central shaft on a distal side of the slider coupling, the distal stabilizing element having a compressed delivery configuration and a radially expanded implant configuration adapted to anchor in a vascular ostia opening to the atrium;
• a pusher shaft concentrically disposed around and slidable relative to the central shaft, wherein the pusher shaft is shorter than the central shaft and has a locking member at a proximal end adapted to alternately lock and release the pusher shaft for sliding movement relative to the central shaft, the pusher shaft having a distal implant segment and a proximal delivery segment joined at a separable junction, wherein the segments may be decoupled to leave just the distal implant segment of the pusher shaft in the body;
• a proximal stabilizing element fixedly attached to the pusher shaft on a proximal side of the slider coupling, the proximal stabilizing element having a compressed delivery configuration and a radially expanded implant configuration adapted to anchor in a vascular ostia opening to the atrium;
• and
• a constriction sheath concentrically arranged around the central shaft, distal stabilizing element, pusher shaft, proximal stabilizing element and spacer, the constriction sheath being oriented along the longitudinal axis and sized to surround and maintain the spacer, distal stabilizing element and proximal stabilizing element in their compressed delivery configurations, and wherein
• the central shaft has a caval spanning segment with a length between the distal stabilizing element and proximal stabilizing element sufficient to span across an atrium between two vascular ostia opening to the atrium, such that the spacer may be pivoted away from the longitudinal axis of the slider coupling and suspended within the atrioventricular valve so as to coapt against the leaflets and reduce regurgitation therebetween.