SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO CONTROL THE DIMENSION OF A HEART VALVE

• US 20090292353A1
• Filed: 12/15/2006
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Original Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Inventors: Jimenez, Jorge Hernan, Yoganathan, Ajit P.
• Granted Patent: US 10,039,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/2.11
• 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 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0404 Buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0414 having a suture-receiving opening, e.g. lateral opening lateral eyelet for attaching suture to needle A61B2017/06019
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0496 for tensioning sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06052 Needle-suture combinations in which a suture is extending inside a hollow tubular needle, e.g. over the entire length of the needle hollow suture needles A61B2017/061
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2445 Annuloplasty rings in direct contact with the valve annulus
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2454 Means for preventing inversion of the valve leaflets, e.g. chordae tendineae prostheses

Abstract

The cinching apparatus (800) comprising: an anchoring component having a distal end a proximal end; the distal end of the anchoring component having an engaging member (805). A locking component (815) and a tension member (820) wherein the anchoring component is enabled to be positioned on a first target site of a tissue component and the locking component (815) is enabled to be positioned on a second target site of a tissue component of the heart, and the tension member (820) can be coupled to both the anchoring component and the locking component (815) to adjust the distance between the first and second target sites.

Claims

1. A method of improving heart valve morphology comprising the steps of:

attaching an anchoring component to a first target site on a tissue component of a heart;

attaching a locking component to a second target site on the tissue component of the heart, wherein the locking component is enabled to be locked and unlocked;

coupling a tension member to the anchoring component;

coupling the tension member to the locking component;

adjusting the distance between the first target site and the second target site by activating the tension member; and

locking the tension member in place with the locking component.

2. The method of improving heart valve morphology of claim 1, wherein the locking component can be locked and unlocked.

3. The method of improving heart valve morphology of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

unlocking the tension member from the locking component;

further adjusting the distance between the first target site and the second target site by activating the tension member; and

locking the tension member in place with the locking component.

4. The method of improving heart valve morphology of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the tension member includes reducing the distance between the first target site and the second target site by activating the tension member to advance the tension member.

5. The method of improving heart valve morphology of claim 1, wherein the step of attaching an anchoring component to a first target site is performed with a catheter.

6. The method of improving heart valve morphology of claim 1, wherein the step of attaching a locking component to a second target site is performed with a long arm device.

7. The method of improving heart valve morphology of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the distance between the first target site and the second target site by activating the tension member is performed from outside of a patient'"'"'s body.

8. The method of improving heart valve morphology of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the distance between the first target site and the second target site is performed using a minimally invasive approach.

9. The method of improving heart valve morphology of claim 1, wherein the step of locking the tension member in place with the locking component is performed from outside of a patient'"'"'s body.

10. The method of improving heart valve morphology of claim 1, wherein the first target site is located on a posterior mitral annulus of the heart.

11. The method of improving heart valve morphology of claim 1, wherein second target site is located on an anterior mitral annulus of the heart.

12. The method of improving heart valve morphology of claim 1, wherein the first target site is located on an aortic annulus of an aortic valve of the heart.

13. The method of improving heart valve morphology of claim 1, wherein second target site is located on an aortic annulus of an aortic valve of the heart.

14. The method of improving heart valve morphology of claim 1, wherein the first target site is located on an annulus of a tricuspid valve of the heart.

15. The method of improving heart valve morphology of claim 1, wherein second target site is located on an annulus of a tricuspid valve of the heart.

16. The method of improving heart valve morphology of claim 1, wherein the first target site is located on an annulus of a pulmonic valve of the heart.

17. The method of improving heart valve morphology of claim 1, wherein second target site is located on an annulus of a pulmonic valve of the heart.

42. The method of improving heart valve morphology of claim 1, wherein the step of locking the tension member in place with the locking component is performed on an open chest, beating heart.

18. A cinching apparatus comprising:

an anchoring component having a proximal end and a distal end;

the proximal end of the anchoring component having an attaching member enabled to communicate with a tissue component of a heart;

a locking component having an attaching member enabled to communicate with the tissue component of a heart, wherein the locking component is enabled to be locked and unlocked;

a tension member;

wherein the anchoring component is enabled to be positioned on a first target site of a tissue component of the heart and the locking component is enabled to be positioned on a second target site of a tissue component of the heart, and the tension member can be coupled to both the anchoring component and the locking component; and

wherein the tension member can be activated to adjust the distance between the first target site and the second target site and fixed by the locking component.

19. The cinching apparatus of claim 18, wherein the tension member is activated to adjust the distance between the first target site and the second target site by advancing the tension member to reduce the distance between the first target site and the second target site.

22. The cinching apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first target site is on a anterior mitral annulus and the second target site is on an posterior mitral annulus.

23. The cinching apparatus of claim 22, wherein the distance between the first target site and the second target site is the septal-lateral diameter.

24. The cinching apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first target site is on an aortic annulus and the second target site is on an aortic annulus.

25. The cinching apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first target site and the second target site are located proximate to a sino-tublar junction in an aortic root.

26. The cinching apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first target site and the second target site are located proximate to a pulmonic valve.

27. The cinching apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first target site and the second target site are located proximate to a tricuspid valve.

28. The cinching apparatus of claim 18, wherein the anchoring component is enabled to be delivered endovascularly.

29. The cinching apparatus of claim 18, wherein the locking component is enabled to be delivered with a long arm device.

30. The cinching apparatus of claim 18, wherein the tension member is enabled to be advanced from outside of a patient'"'"'s body.

31. The cinching apparatus of claim 18, wherein the locking component is enabled to be activated from outside of a patient'"'"'s body.

43. The cinching apparatus of claim 18, wherein the locking component is enabled to be activated on an open chest, beating heart.

20. (canceled)

21. The cinching apparatus of claim 20, wherein the tension member is enabled to be unlocked from the locking component, further advanced, and then relocked by the locking component.

32. A method of improving valve morphology comprising the steps of:

attaching an anchoring component to a first target site on the tissue component of a heart, the anchoring component having an engaging member;

attaching a locking component to a second target site on a tissue component of the heart, wherein the locking component is enabled to be locked and unlocked;

passing a wire having an engaging distal end through the locking component;

coupling the engaging distal end of the wire to the engaging member of the anchoring component;

reducing the distance between the first target site and the second target site by advancing the wire; and

locking the wire in place with the locking component.

35. The method of improving valve morphology of claim 32, wherein the first target site is located on a anterior mitral annulus of the heart.

36. The method of improving valve morphology of claim 32, wherein second target site is located on an posterior mitral annulus of the heart.

33. (canceled)

34. The method of improving valve morphology of claim 33, further comprising the steps of:

unlocking the wire from the locking component;

further reducing the distance between the first target site and the second target site by advancing the wire; and

locking the wire in place with the locking component.

37. A septal-lateral annular cinching apparatus comprising:

an anchoring component having a proximal end and a distal end;

the proximal end of the anchoring component having a attaching member enabled to communicate with a tissue component of a heart;

the distal end of the anchoring component having a engaging member;

a locking component having an attaching member enabled to communicate with the tissue component of a heart, wherein the locking component is enabled to be locked and unlocked;

a wire with an engaging distal end;

wherein the anchoring component enabled to be positioned on a first target site of a tissue component of the heart and the locking component enabled to be positioned on a second target site of a tissue component of the heart, the wire can be passed through the locking component, and the engaging distal end of the wire can be coupled to the proximal end of the anchoring component; and

wherein the wire can be advanced to reduce the distance between the first target site and the second target site and fixed by the locking component.

40. The septal-lateral annular cinching apparatus of claim 37, wherein the valve annulus is a mitral valve annulus.

38. (canceled)

39. The septal-lateral annular cinching apparatus of claim 38, wherein the wire can be unlocked from the locking component, advanced, and then relocked by the locking component.

41. A method of improving valve morphology comprising the steps of:

attaching an anchoring component to a posterior mitral annulus of a heart, the anchoring component having an engaging member;

attaching a locking component to a anterior mitral annulus of the heart, wherein the locking component is enabled to be locked and unlocked;

passing a tension member having an engaging distal end through the locking component;

coupling the engaging distal end of the tension member to the engaging member of the anchoring component;

reducing the distance between the posterior mitral annulus and the anterior mitral annulus by advancing the tension member; and

locking the tension member in place with the locking component.