DEVICES AND METHODS FOR HEART VALVE REPAIR

• US 20080234701A1
• Filed: 06/02/2008
• Published: 09/25/2008
• 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., MORALES, Rodolfo A.
• Application Number:
  US12/131,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20080234701A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/139
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00082 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances
• 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 17/0644 penetrating the tissue, deformable to closed position
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0684 having a forming anvil staying above the tissue during stapling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/083 Clips, e.g. resilient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/10 for applying or removing wound clamps, e.g. containing only one clamp or staple A61B17/076 takes precedence; containing multiple wound clamps A61B17/068; Wound clamp magazines containers, packaging elements or packages specially adapted for particular articles or with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00, B65D85/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3421 Cannulas
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3423 Access ports, e.g. toroid shape introducers for instruments or hands access sites for liquids A61M39/0247
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0488 Instruments for applying suture clamps, clips or locks for applying suture anchors A61B2017/0409; for applying wound clamps A61B17/10; for applying ligaturing clamps or clips A61B17/128
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0496 for tensioning sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06023 Multiple eyelets
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3425 for internal organs, e.g. heart ports
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3484 Anchoring means, e.g. spreading-out umbrella-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3488 Fixation to inner organ or inner body tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 : in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• 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

Methods and devices provide constriction of a heart valve annulus to treat cardiac valve regurgitation and other conditions. Embodiments typically include a device for attaching a cinching or tightening apparatus to a heart valve annulus to reduce the circumference of the annulus, thus reducing valve regurgitation. Tightening devices may include multiple tethered clips, multiple untethered crimping clips, stabilizing devices, visualization devices, and the like. In one embodiment, a plurality of tethered clips is secured circumferentially to a valve annulus, and the tether coupling the clips is cinched to reduce the circumference of at least a portion of the annulus. Methods and devices may be used in open heart surgical procedures, minimally invasive procedures, catheter-based procedures, and/or procedures on beating hearts or stopped hearts.

Claims

1-36. -36. (canceled)

37. :

A method of applying a plurality of clips to annular tissue of a heart valve comprising;

sequentially delivering at least two clips to the annular tissue from a clip applicator, wherein each of the at least two clips is coupled to a tether, and wherein each of the at least two clips is capable of penetrating tissue;

cinching the tether so that the distance between the at least two clips is shortened; and

cutting the tether after it has been cinched.

38. :

The method of claim 37 wherein the method is performed minimally invasively.

39. :

The method of claim 37 performed during a beating heart procedure.

40. :

The method of claim 37 performed during an open surgical procedure.

41. :

The method of claim 37 performed during an intravascular procedure.

44. :

The method of claim 37 wherein at least one of the at least two clips is T-shaped.

45. :

A method of applying a plurality of clips to annular tissue of a heart valve to reduce regurgitation comprising;

sequentially delivering at least two clips to the annular tissue from a clip applicator, wherein each of the at least two clips is capable of penetrating tissue, and wherein each of the at least two clips is deformable so that the upon clip deformation, the clips tighten and reduce a length of the annular tissue and thereby reduce regurgitation.

46. :

The method of claim 45 wherein each of the at least two clips is coupled to a tether and further comprising the step of cinching the tether so that the distance between the at least two clips is shortened.