System for loading a collapsible heart valve

A method for loading a self-expanding prosthetic heart valve into a delivery device, the delivery device including a tip, a retaining element, a compartment defined between the tip and the retaining element and adapted to receive the heart valve, and a distal sheath movable between a closed position fully covering the compartment and an open position uncovering the compartment, and the heart valve including a stent, a valve assembly supported by the stent, and at least one retainer at one end of the stent, the heart valve having an expanded condition and a collapsed condition, the method comprising:

• configuring a support member to receive an end of the heart valve, the support member having a base on a first end and a recess on a second end, the recess having a fixed depth between a support surface of the recess and an open end of the recess, the configuring step including assembling a spacer in the recess so that the recess has a depth between a support surface of the spacer and the open end of the recess which is less than the fixed depth;
• inserting the end of the heart valve in the expanded condition into the recess of the support member;
• advancing the support member and a compression member toward one another, the compression member having an inner surface which decreases in diameter uniformly from a first open end to a second open end, the advancing step including advancing the heart valve through the compression member until the at least one retainer protrudes from the second open end of the compression member;
• positioning the delivery device in an initial position in a constricting member, the constricting member having a first end, a second end, and an elongated tubular portion between the first end and the second end, the delivery device in the initial position having the distal sheath in the open position and the retaining element positioned outside the constricting member;
• attaching the at least one retainer of the heart valve to the retaining element of the delivery device;
• and
• moving the distal sheath of the delivery device to the closed position, during which the heart valve is advanced through the second open end of the compression member and into the elongated tubular portion of the constricting member to place the heart valve in the collapsed condition.

A kit for delivering a self-expanding prosthetic heart valve to an implantation site in a patient, the heart valve being one of a plurality of different sizes, the kit comprising:

• a delivery device including a tip, a retaining element, a compartment defined between the tip and the retaining element and adapted to receive the heart valve, and a distal sheath movable between a closed position fully covering the compartment and an open position uncovering the compartment;
• a compression member having a first open end with a first diameter, a second open end with a second diameter less than the first diameter, and a tapered wall decreasing in diameter from the first open end to the second open end, the tapered wall defining an open space adapted to receive the heart valve;
• a support member having a base on a first end and a recess on a second end, the recess having a fixed depth between a support surface of the recess and an open end of the recess, the recess being adapted to receive an end of the heart valve, the support member and the compression member being movable relative to one another between an initial position in which the base of the support member is relatively far from the first open end of the compression member and an operative position in which the base of the support member is relatively close to the first open end of the compression member, wherein movement of the support member and the compression member from the initial position to the operative position pushes the heart valve through the open space such that the heart valve is radially compressed by the tapered wall of the compression member as the heart valve advances through the open space;
• a constricting member having a first end and a second end, the second end of the constricting member being sized to receive the compressed heart valve from the second open end of the compression member;
• and
• a spacer adapted for assembly in the recess so that the recess has a second depth between a support surface of the spacer and the open end of the recess which is less than the fixed depth,
• wherein the fixed depth of the recess is adapted for use with a heart valve having a first compressed length, and the second depth of the recess is adapted for use with a heart valve having a compressed length less than the first compressed length.