System and method for positioning an artificial heart valve at the position of a malfunctioning valve of a heart through a percutaneous route

• US 20070173861A1
• Filed: 01/10/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical International Holding SARL (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: MediGuide Ltd (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Strommer, Gera, Eichler, Uzi, Schwartz, Liat
• Granted Patent: US 9,717,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/108
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7289 Retrospective gating, i.e. associating measured signals or images with a physiological event after the actual measurement or image acquisition, e.g. by simultaneously recording an additional physiological signal during the measurement or image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/465 adapted to display user selection data, e.g. graphical user interface, icons or menus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/481 involving the use of contrast agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/503 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/504 for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5235 combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0833 involving detecting or locating foreign bodies or organic structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0841 for locating instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5238 for combining image data of patient, e.g. merging several images from different acquisition modes into one image for image registration algorithms G06T7/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2427 Devices for manipulating or deploying heart valves during implantation

Abstract

Method for positioning an artificial heart valve at the anatomic position of a malfunctioning heart valve of a heart of a patient, by employing a catheter bearing the artificial heart valve and a valve fixation device, at the tip of the catheter, the method including the procedures of receiving a marking input associated with an image of the heart, and respective of the anatomic position, in a medical positioning system (MPS) coordinate system, moving the tip toward the anatomic position, constantly detecting the current position of the artificial heart valve, and producing an indication when the current position substantially matches the anatomic position, thereby enabling the catheter to fix the malfunctioning heart valve in place, by the valve fixation device.

Claims

1. Method for positioning an artificial heart valve at the anatomic position of a malfunctioning heart valve of a heart of a patient, by employing a catheter bearing said artificial heart valve and a valve fixation device, at the tip of the catheter, the method comprising the procedures of:

receiving a marking input associated with an image of said heart, and respective of said anatomic position, in a medical positioning system (MPS) coordinate system;

moving said tip toward said anatomic position;

constantly detecting the current position of said artificial heart valve; and

producing an indication when said current position substantially matches said anatomic position, thereby enabling said catheter to fix said malfunctioning heart valve in place, by said valve fixation device.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a preliminary procedure of producing said image.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a procedure of providing said catheter, before performing said procedure of moving.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a procedure of inducing cardiac arrest in said heart, before performing said procedure of moving, when said tip enters a heart chamber of said heart.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a procedure of fixing in place said artificial heart valve at said anatomic position, by employing said valve fixation device, while said heart is in a state of cardiac arrest.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said procedure of receiving is performed via a user interface.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said valve fixation device comprises:

an inflatable balloon located at said tip; and

a stent surrounding said inflatable balloon,

wherein said artificial heart valve is coupled with said stent, and

wherein said artificial heart valve is fixed in place at said anatomic position, by inflating said inflatable balloon.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said catheter comprises an MPS sensor located at said tip, said MPS sensor being coupled with said MPS, and

wherein said procedure of detection is performed by said MPS, according to a position output produced by said MPS sensor.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said moving procedure is performed in a manner selected from the list consisting of:

automatically;

semi-automatically; and

manually.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said indication is selected from the list consisting of:

aural;

visual; and

haptic.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said malfunctioning heart valve is selected from the list consisting of:

tricuspid valve;

aortic valve;

pulmonary valve; and

mitral valve.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a procedure of producing a current position representation respective of said current position, after said procedure of detecting.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a procedure of producing an anatomic position representation respective of said anatomic position, after said procedure of detecting.

14. System for positioning an artificial heart valve at the anatomic position of a malfunctioning heart valve of a heart of a patient, the system comprising:

a catheter bearing said artificial heart valve and a valve fixation device, at the tip of said catheter, said catheter being employed for fixing in place said artificial heart valve, at said anatomic position, by said valve fixation device;

a medical positioning system (MPS) sensor located at the tip of said catheter;

an MPS coupled with said MPS sensor, for determining the current position of said artificial valve in an MPS coordinate system, according to an output of said MPS sensor; and

a processor coupled with said MPS, said processor determining said anatomic position, according to a respective marking input received from a first user interface coupled with said processor, said processor constantly determining said current position, while said catheter is moving toward said anatomic position, said processor producing an indication via said first user interface, when said processor determines that said current position substantially matches said anatomic position.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said valve fixation device comprises:

an inflatable balloon; and

a stent surrounding said inflatable balloon, said artificial heart valve being coupled with said stent, and

wherein said artificial heart valve is fixed in place at said anatomic position, by inflating said inflatable balloon.

16. The system according to claim 14, further comprising said first user interface.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein said first user interface is selected from the list consisting of:

tactile user interface;

aural user interface; and

visual user interface.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said visual user interface displays an anatomic position representation respective of said anatomic position, and a current position representation respective of said current position.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein said visual user interface is selected from the list consisting of:

cathode ray tube display;

autostereoscopic display;

head-mounted display;

volumetric display;

multi-liquid-crystal-display; and

touch-screen.

20. The system according to claim 14, further comprising a second user interface coupled with said processor, wherein said processor produces said indication via said second user interface.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein said second user interface is selected from the list consisting of:

aural;

visual; and

haptic.

22. The system according to claim 14, wherein said malfunctioning heart valve is selected from the list consisting of:

tricuspid valve;

aortic valve;

pulmonary valve; and

mitral valve.