Prosthetic heart valve delivery system and method

A delivery system for a prosthetic heart valve, the prosthetic heart valve comprising an anchor adapted to be disposed in a ventricle adjacent a native valve of a patient's heart and a frame supporting valve leaflets adapted to be expanded within the anchor, the delivery system comprising:

• a valve capsule, the valve frame being disposed within the valve capsule in a compressed configuration;
• a capsule shaft catheter connected to the valve capsule and extending proximally from the valve capsule;
• a valve retainer removably connected to the valve frame;
• and
• a proximal controller at a proximal end of the capsule shaft catheter, the proximal controller being configured to remove the capsule from the valve frame, thereby permitting the valve frame to expand.

A track system adapted to control movement of a catheter system for delivering at least a portion of a prosthetic heart valve into a patient's heart, wherein the catheter system includes a first catheter coaxially arranged with a second catheter, the track system comprising:

• a primary track and a secondary track positioned in parallel;
• a first carriage adapted to secure a proximal portion of the first catheter thereto and to translate along the primary track, wherein the first carriage is coupled to the secondary track such that the secondary track translates with the first carriage when the first carriage translates along the primary track;
• and
• a second carriage adapted to secure a proximal portion of the second catheter thereto and to translate along the primary track, wherein the second carriage includes a coupler that is adapted to selectively engage the second carriage with the secondary track such that, when the coupler is engaged, the second carriage translates with the first carriage when the first carriage translates along the primary track.