Delivery devices and methods for heart valve repair

• US 20060241656A1
• Filed: 04/27/2006
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Guided Delivery Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Guided Delivery Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Starksen, Niel F., To, John
• Application Number:
  US11/414,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20060241656A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/143
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0401 Suture anchors, buttons or pledgets, i.e. means for attaching sutures to bone, cartilage or soft tissue; Instruments for applying or removing suture anchors A61B17/0642 takes precedence; fixation devices for tendons or ligaments A61F2/0811
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0487 Suture clamps, clips or locks, e.g. for replacing suture knots; Instruments for applying or removing suture clamps, clips or locks suture anchors A61B17/0401; wound clamps or clips A61B17/08; ligaturing clamps or clips A61B17/122
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0643 with separate closing member, e.g. for interlocking with staple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0682 for applying U-shaped staples or clamps, e.g. without a forming anvil
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00783 Valvuloplasty
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00862 elastic or resilient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00867 shape memory effect
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0414 having a suture-receiving opening, e.g. lateral opening
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0443 the shaft being resilient and having a coiled or helical shape in the released state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0445 cannulated, e.g. with a longitudinal through-hole for passage of an instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0458 Longitudinal through hole, e.g. suture blocked by a distal suture knot
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0464 for soft tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0496 for tensioning sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2445 Annuloplasty rings in direct contact with the valve annulus
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2451 Inserts in the coronary sinus for correcting the valve shape

Abstract

Devices, systems and methods facilitate positioning of a cardiac valve annulus treatment device, thus enhancing treatment of the annulus. Methods generally involve advancing an anchor delivery device through vasculature of the patient to a location in the heart for treating the valve annulus, contacting the anchor delivery device with a length of the valve annulus, delivering a plurality of coupled anchors from the anchor delivery device to secure the anchors to the annulus, and drawing the anchors together to circumferentially tighten the valve annulus. Devices generally include an elongate catheter having at least one tensioning member and at least one tensioning actuator for deforming a distal portion of the catheter to help it conform to a valve annulus. The catheter device may be used to navigate a subannular space below a mitral valve to facilitate positioning of an anchor delivery device.

Claims

1-85. -85. (canceled)

86. A device for reducing the circumference of a heart valve annulus comprising a plurality of spaced anchors coupled to a backbone, wherein the anchors are configured to self-secure into annular tissue and wherein the backbone is configured to reduce the spacing between at least two of said plurality of anchors.

87. The device of claim 86 wherein the anchors are configured to be deployed in an everting fashion.

88. The device of claim 86 wherein the backbone is made from a shape memory material.

89. The device of claim 88 wherein the backbone is made from a nickel titanium alloy.

90. The device of claim 89 wherein the backbone is a spring.

91. The device of claim 86 wherein the backbone has an undeployed shape and a deployed shape, wherein the deployed shape comprises multiple bends.

92. A method for reducing the circumference of a heart valve annulus comprising deploying a plurality of spaced anchors coupled to a backbone circumferentially about the annulus wherein the anchors are configured to self-secure into annular tissue and wherein the backbone is configured to reduce the spacing between at least two of said plurality of anchors.

93. The method of claim 92 wherein the anchors are deployed in an everting fashion.

94. The method of claim 92 wherein the backbone is made from a shape memory material.

95. The method of claim 94 wherein the backbone is made from a nickel titanium alloy.

96. The method of claim 94 wherein the backbone is a spring.

97. The method of claim 92 wherein the backbone has an undeployed shape and a deployed shape, wherein the deployed shape comprises multiple bends.

98. The method of claim 92 wherein the heart valve annulus is a mitral valve annulus.

99. The method of claim 92 wherein the heart valve annulus is a tripcuspid valve annulus.

100. The method of claim 92 wherein the heart valve annulus is an aortic valve annulus.

101. The method of claim 92 wherein the anchors are deployed intravascularly.