Method and apparatus for circulatory valve repair
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
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Citations
67 Claims
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1-28. -28. (cancelled)
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29. A method for repairing a circulatory valve having leaflets in a patient suffering from regurgitation or insufficiency, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) grasping two leaflets to immobilize said leaflets, wherein the patient'"'"'s heart is not stopped; and
(b) fastening the leaflets together in a position intended to resolve the regurgitation or insufficiency. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. A method for repairing a circulatory valve having leaflets in a patient suffering from regurgitation or insufficiency, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a grasper capable of grasping and coapting the leaflets of the valve;
(b) grasping and immobilizing the leaflets of the valve; and
(c) inserting a fastener into the leaflets to coapt the leaflets in a position which resolves the regurgitation or insufficiency. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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34. A method of repairing a circulatory valve in a patient, the valve having leaflets, the method comprising:
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accessing the valve through a blood vessel or through a controlled-bleeding entry site in a wall of the patient'"'"'s heart;
positioning distal sections of the leaflets together or substantially adjacent each other in a coapted configuration; and
securing the leaflets in the coapted configuration. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A method of repairing a circulatory valve in a patient, the valve having leaflets, the method comprising:
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positioning a grasper near the valve through a blood vessel or through a controlled-bleeding entry site in a wall of the patient'"'"'s heart;
grasping the leaflets with the grasper to position distal sections of the leaflets together or substantially adjacent each other in a coapted configuration; and
securing the leaflets in the coapted configuration. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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Specification