Method and apparatus for circulatory valve repair
AssigneeThe Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
InventorsMehmet C. Oz, Gerald M. Lemole, Alan Lotvin, Juan P. Umana, William Allen, Howard R. Levin
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Abstract
An apparatus for the repair of a cardiovascular valve has leaflets comprising a grasper capable of grabbing and co-apting the leaflets of the valve. In a preferred embodiment, the grasper has jaws that grasp and immobilize the leaflets, and then a fastener is inserted to co-apt the leaflets. The apparatus is particularly useful for repairing mitral valves to cure mitral regurgitation.
Claims8
A device for coapting cardiac valve leaflets, comprising:
- a grasper having a first closure member with a first grasping surface and a second closure member with a second grasping surface, the first and second grasping surfaces being capable of releasably grasping cardiac valve leaflets between the first and second grasping surfaces;
- and
- a fastener adapted to close over the closure members,
- wherein, when the cardiac valve leaflets are grasped by the first and second grasping surfaces, one of the grasping surfaces in contact with the cardiac valve leaflets is configured to be movably displaced in a longitudinal direction relative to the other grasping surface in contact with the cardiac valve leaflets to reposition cardiac valve leaflets relative to each other, and
- wherein the fastener is capable of being positioned to close over the closure members whereby the closure members coapt the cardiac valve leaflets.
An apparatus, which is capable of being inserted percutaneously, for the repair of a cardiovascular valve having leaflets, comprising:
- a grasper having first and second grasping surfaces capable of grabbing and coapting leaflets of a cardiovascular valve,
- a deployable fastening device integrally attached to the grasper,
- means for operating the fastening device independently of the grasper, and
- at least one control wire capable of actuating the grasper,
- wherein the first and second grasping surfaces can be adjusted in a longitudinal direction relative to one another to reposition the cardiovascular valve leaflets to obtain optimum coaptation, and
- wherein the fastening device is capable of being positioned to close over the grasping surfaces whereby the grasping surfaces coapt the cardiovascular valve leaflets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.