Implants and methods for reshaping heart valves
First Claim
1. An implant for reinforcing a patient'"'"'s heart valve, said implant comprising:
- a body member having a proximal end, a distal end and a length extending therebetween, said body member configured to be implanted within a patient'"'"'s heart at or near a base of a heart valve leaflet;
wherein said body member comprises a shape memory material and is transformable from a first configuration to a second configuration;
wherein, when said body member is in said second configuration, said body member is configured to reshape a tissue of the heart so as to exert a force on the leaflet base;
and wherein said implant is elongate with its longest length less than or equal to about fifteen millimeters.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Tissue shaping methods and devices are provided for reinforcing and/or remodeling heart valves. In certain embodiments, magnetic tissue shaping devices are implanted in tissue adjacent heart valve leaflets. The devices are mutually attractive or repulsive so as to remodel the heart tissue and improve heart valve function. In certain other embodiments, one or more tissue shaping devices including shape memory material are implanted in a patient'"'"'s body within or on tissue adjacent a heart valve leaflet. The shape memory material can be activated within the patient in a less invasive or non-invasive manner, such as by applying energy percutaneously or external to the patient'"'"'s body. The shape memory tissue shaping devices are implanted in a first configuration and then activated to remember a second configuration that displaces tissue so as to remodel the heart valve geometry and improve heart valve function. In certain other embodiments, a brace is crimped to the base of a heart valve leaflet to support the leaflet and improve valve closure.
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Citations
63 Claims
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1. An implant for reinforcing a patient'"'"'s heart valve, said implant comprising:
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a body member having a proximal end, a distal end and a length extending therebetween, said body member configured to be implanted within a patient'"'"'s heart at or near a base of a heart valve leaflet;
wherein said body member comprises a shape memory material and is transformable from a first configuration to a second configuration;
wherein, when said body member is in said second configuration, said body member is configured to reshape a tissue of the heart so as to exert a force on the leaflet base;
and wherein said implant is elongate with its longest length less than or equal to about fifteen millimeters. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An implant for reinforcing a patient'"'"'s heart valve, said implant comprising:
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a body member having a proximal end, a distal end and a length extending therebetween;
wherein said body member comprises a shape memory material and is transformable from a first configuration to a second configuration;
wherein, when said body member is in said second configuration, said body member is configured to reshape a tissue of the heart so as to exert a force on the leaflet base;
and wherein said implant is elongate and is configured to be wholly implanted within said heart tissue. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method of treating heart valve disease, comprising:
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providing an implant comprising a body member having a proximal end, a distal end and a length extending therebetween, wherein said body member comprises a shape memory material;
wholly implanting said implant within a tissue of a patient'"'"'s heart at or near a base of a valve leaflet; and
applying energy to said shape memory material so as to transform said implant from a first configuration having a first shape to a second configuration having a second shape. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A device for reshaping or reforming body tissue, the device comprising:
resilient means for changing a dimension of a heart valve annulus, said resilient means configured to be implanted at or near the base of a leaflet of a patient'"'"'s heart valve, said resilient means configured to transform from a first shape to a second shape in response to a force applied thereto during implantation, wherein said resilient means transforms back to said first shape when said force is removed therefrom after said implantation. - View Dependent Claims (45)
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46. A method for changing a dimension of a heart valve annulus, said method comprising:
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implanting a first device in a patient'"'"'s heart, wherein said first device is magnetic;
implanting a second device in said patient'"'"'s heart;
wherein said second device is responsive to a magnetic field emanating from said first device so as to produce a change in a dimension of a heart valve annulus. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A tissue shaping system comprising:
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a first device configured to emanate a magnetic field, said first device configured to be implanted at or near a heart valve annulus; and
a second device configured to interact with said first device by responding to said magnetic field, said second device configured to be implanted at or near the heart valve annulus;
wherein said first device is configured to interact with said second device so as to change a dimension of the heart valve annulus. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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63. A system for reshaping or reforming a heart valve annulus, said system comprising:
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means for emanating a magnetic field; and
means for interacting with said means for emanating by responding to said magnetic field;
wherein, when said means for emanating and said means for interacting are implanted at or near the heart valve annulus, at least one dimension of the heart valve annulus is changed while said means for interacting responds to said magnetic field.
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Specification