Non-uniform loading systems and methods for implantable medical devices

A system for percutaneously delivering a prosthetic heart valve, the prosthetic heart valve being radially self-expandable from a compressed arrangement to an uncompressed arrangement, the system comprising:

• a delivery device having a distal portion and a proximal control handle portion by which the distal portion is effectively controlled;
• and
• a loading system configured to transition the prosthetic heart valve from the uncompressed arrangement to the compressed arrangement on the distal portion of the delivery device, the loading system comprising:
• an inflow loading assembly configured to compress an inflow portion of the prosthetic heart valve as the prosthetic heart valve is advanced through the inflow loading assembly, wherein the inflow loading assembly comprises one or more biasing features that are configured to asymmetrically compress the inflow portion of the implantable medical device, and
• an outflow loading assembly removably coupled to the inflow loading assembly, wherein the outflow loading assembly is configured to partially compress an outflow portion of the prosthetic heart valve during coupling to the inflow loading assembly.

A crimper for altering an implantable medical device from an uncompressed arrangement to a compressed arrangement, the crimper comprising:

• a crimper housing comprising a plurality of crimper elements, the plurality of crimper elements defining a crimper channel, wherein the plurality of crimper elements comprises one or more biasing features that are configured to asymmetrically compress the implantable medical device;
• and
• a handle configured to operate the crimper elements, wherein
• movement of the handle displaces the plurality of crimper elements, and
• the displacement of the plurality of crimper elements decreases a volume of the crimper chamber to transition the implantable medical device from the uncompressed arrangement to the compressed arrangement.