Heart valve holder for use in valve implantation procedures

• US 20080071367A1
• Filed: 08/02/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Bergin, Cathleen, Ryan, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 8,454,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/2.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2427 Devices for manipulating or deploying heart valves during implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/243 Deployment by mechanical expansion

Abstract

A valve holder for a prosthetic valve having a stent comprising a stent base and multiple commissure posts projecting from the stent base, the valve holder including a connector hub, a plurality of legs connected to the connector hub, each leg having an elongate portion and a commissure post engaging plate, a sliding member slideably connected to each leg of the plurality of legs and positioned between the connector hub and the commissure post engaging plates of the plurality of legs and slideably positionable at a first position relative to the connector hub with the commissure post engaging plates in an uncompressed configuration and a second position relative to the connector hub with the commissure post engaging plates in a compressed configuration, and a handle extending from the connector hub.

Claims

1. A valve holder for a prosthetic valve having a stent comprising a stent base and multiple commissure posts projecting from the stent base, the valve holder comprising:

a connector hub;

a plurality of legs connected to the connector hub, each leg comprising an elongate portion and a commissure post engaging plate;

a sliding member slideably connected to each leg of the plurality of legs and positioned between the connector hub and the commissure post engaging plates of the plurality of legs and slideably positionable to a first position relative to the connector hub with the commissure post engaging plates in an uncompressed configuration and to a second position relative to the connector hub with the commissure post engaging plates in a compressed configuration; and

a handle extending from the connector hub.

2. The valve holder of claim 1, wherein the sliding member is closer to the connector hub when the sliding member is in its first position than when the sliding member is in its second position.

3. The valve holder of claim 1, wherein each leg of the plurality of legs comprises a plurality of teeth that can engage with an engaging surface of the sliding member.

4. The valve holder of claim 1, wherein each commissure post engaging plate comprises a plurality of apertures spaced from each other to provide suture passages for a stitching sequence.

5. The valve holder of claim 4, wherein each commissure post engaging plate comprises a first surface comprising a guide recess positioned generally between two adjacent apertures that can guide a cutting tool to a suture used to attach the commissure post engaging plate to a prosthetic valve.

6. The valve holder of claim 4, wherein each commissure post engaging plate comprises a first surface comprising at least one protective ridge that can guard against undesirably cutting a suture used to attach the commissure post engaging plate to a prosthetic valve.

7. The valve holder of claim 1, wherein each commissure post engaging plate comprises a recess in a second surface of the commissure post engaging plate that has a sufficient size to accommodate a suture knot.

8. The valve holder of claim 1, comprising three legs spaced from each other around the connector hub.

9. The valve holder of claim 8, wherein the angle between a first leg and a second leg is about 105 degrees, the angle between the second leg and a third leg is about 120 degrees, and the angle between the first leg and the third leg is about 135 degrees.

10. The valve holder of claim 8, wherein three legs are spaced approximately evenly from each other around the connector hub.

11. The valve holder of claim 1 in combination with a prosthetic valve.

12. A method of installing a prosthetic valve in a patient, the prosthetic valve having a stent comprising a stent base and multiple commissure posts projecting from the stent base, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a valve holder comprising a connector hub, a plurality of legs connected to the connector hub, each leg comprising an elongate portion and a commissure post engaging plate, and a sliding member slideably connected to each leg of the plurality of legs and positioned between the connector hub and the commissure post engaging plates of the plurality of legs;

positioning the sliding member at a first position relative to the connector hub with the commissure post engaging plates in an uncompressed configuration;

attaching each of the commissure posts to one of the commissure post engaging plates;

moving the sliding member relative to the connector hub to a second position relative to the connector hub to position the commissure post engaging plates in a compressed configuration;

positioning the valve holder with the attached valve at an implantation site of a patient;

suturing the valve to tissue of the patient;

detaching the valve from the valve holder; and

removing the valve holder from the patient.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the valve comprises an aortic prosthetic heart valve.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of attaching the commissure posts to the commissure post engaging plates comprises suturing the commissure posts to the commissure post engaging members.

15. A valve holder for a prosthetic valve having a stent comprising a stent base and multiple commissure posts projecting from the stent base, the valve holder comprising:

a connector hub;

a plurality of legs connected to the connector hub, each leg comprising an elongate portion and a commissure post engaging plate;

a sliding member slideably connected to each leg of the plurality of legs and positioned between the connector hub and the commissure post engaging plates of the plurality of legs and slideably positionable at a first position relative to the connector hub with the commissure post engaging plates in an uncompressed configuration and a second position relative to the connector hub with the commissure post engaging plates in a compressed configuration;

a cutting sleeve having an outer tubular structure that at least partially surrounds the connector hub and sliding member; and

a handle extending from the connector hub.

16. The valve holder of claim 15, wherein the cutting sleeve comprises multiple cutting ribs extending from an inner surface of the cutting sleeve.

17. The valve holder of claim 15, wherein the outer tubular structure of the cutting sleeve comprises a lower surface that is positionable adjacent to the sliding member when the connector hub is spaced from the sliding member.

18. The valve holder of claim 15, wherein the sliding member is closer to the connector hub when the sliding member is in its first position than when the sliding member is in its second position.

19. The valve holder of claim 15, wherein each leg of the plurality of legs comprises a plurality of teeth that can engage with an engaging surface of the sliding member.

20. The valve holder of claim 16, wherein the cutting sleeve is rotatable relative to the connector hub and sliding member, wherein each of the cutting ribs comprises a cutting surface.