Vascular device and method for valve leaflet apposition
AssigneeRex Medical, L.P.
InventorJohn D. Leedle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vascular device having a plurality of struts having a distal portion and a proximal portion. The distal portion of the struts are retained in a converged position. The struts diverge radially outwardly. A plurality of vessel penetrating members extend from the proximal portion of the struts for engaging the internal wall of the vessel, wherein release of the retention of the distal portions of the struts causes the distal portions to move outwardly away from the longitudinal axis and the proximal portions of the struts to move inwardly toward the longitudinal axis such that the vessel engaging members pull the internal wall of the vessel radially inwardly.
Claims17
A vascular device comprising a longitudinal axis, a plurality of struts having a distal portion and a proximal portion, and a distal portion of the struts are retained in a converged position wherein distal tips converge, the struts diverging radially outwardly proximally in the converged position, and a plurality of vessel engaging members extending from the proximal portion of the struts for engaging the internal wall of a vessel, wherein release of the retention of the distal portions of the struts causes the distal tips of the struts to move outwardly away from the longitudinal axis so the distal tips diverge radially outwardly and the proximal portions of the struts move inwardly toward the longitudinal axis such that the vessel engaging members pull the internal wall of the vessel radially inwardly.
A vascular device comprising a tubular-like member having proximal, intermediate and distal portions, the tubular-like member being expandable from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration, a plurality of vessel engaging members having penetrating tips, the vessel engaging members extending from the proximal portion, wherein expansion of the tubular-like member to the expanded configuration causes the proximal portions to move outwardly to penetrate a vessel wall, and subsequent release of the distal portions moves the vessel engaging members radially inwardly to a placement configuration to move the vessel wall radially inwardly, wherein a transverse dimension of the distal portions of the struts in the placement configuration exceeds a transverse dimension of the proximal portions of the struts in the placement configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.