APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR IMPLANTING COLLAPSIBLE/EXPANDABLE PROSTHETIC HEART VALVES

• US 20100191326A1
• Filed: 06/26/2008
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St Jude Medical Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: St Jude Medical Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Alkhatib, Yousef F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,512,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/2.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/013 Distal protection devices, i.e. devices placed distally in combination with another endovascular procedure, e.g. angioplasty or stenting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2418 Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2436 Deployment by retracting a sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2439 Expansion controlled by filaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9517 handle assemblies therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/016 made from wire-like elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/018 made from tubes or sheets of material, e.g. by etching or laser-cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0071 spherical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/008 paraboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0093 Umbrella-shaped, e.g. mushroom-shaped

Abstract

Apparatus for delivering a prosthetic heart valve into a patient by means that are less invasive than conventional open-chest, open-heart surgery. The prosthetic valve may be collapsed while in a delivery device. When the valve reaches the desired implant site in the patient, the valve can be released from the delivery device, which allows the valve to re-expand to the configuration in which it can function as a heart valve. For example, the delivery device may be constructed to facilitate delivery of the prosthetic valve into the patient via the apex of the patient'"'"'s heart.

Claims

1. Apparatus for delivering a prosthetic heart valve into a patient comprising:

a hollow, tubular, longitudinal, outer shaft extending from a proximal portion of the apparatus to a distal portion of the apparatus;

a longitudinal inner shaft disposed inside the outer shaft and substantially longitudinally aligned therewith, the inner shaft being longitudinally movable relative to the outer shaft;

a tip structure mounted on a distal portion of the inner shaft for substantially closing a distal end of the outer shaft when the inner shaft is pulled proximally back relative to the outer shaft; and

a prosthetic heart valve disposed around the inner shaft proximal of the tip structure and inside a distal portion of the outer shaft, the heart valve being releasable from the apparatus when the distal tip is moved distally away from the distal end of the outer shaft and the heart valve is shifted distally beyond the distal end of the outer shaft.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a handle structure attached to a proximal portion of the outer shaft.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2 further comprising:

a toroidal structure disposed concentrically around the outer shaft distally of the handle structure, the toroidal structure being movable along a length of the outer shaft; and

a resilient structure for resiliently urging the toroidal structure to move in a distal direction along the shaft.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein the toroidal structure has blood-sealing engagement with an outer surface of the outer shaft.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the prosthetic valve is resiliently biased to expand radially outwardly when released from confinement to a collapsed size that fits within the outer shaft.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a native leaflet displacing structure deployable from a distal end of the outer shaft when the tip structure moves distally away from the distal end of the outer shaft, the native leaflet displacing structure being resiliently biased to enlarge radially outwardly when deployed from the distal end of the outer shaft.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 2 further comprising:

an actuator structure mounted in the handle structure for moving the inner shaft longitudinally relative to the outer shaft.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 2 further comprising:

a connector structure mounted on the handle structure, the connector structure including a lumen that connects to a lumen structure through the inner shaft and the tip structure.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a collar structure around the inner shaft and spaced in the proximal direction from the tip structure, the prosthetic valve being positioned between the collar structure and the tip structure.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 9 wherein a proximal end portion of the prosthetic valve bears on the collar structure.

11. The apparatus defined in claim 10 further comprising:

a plurality of strands for releasably securing the prosthetic valve to the collar structure.

12. The apparatus defined in claim 11

wherein each of the strands loops through a proximal portion of the prosthetic valve and then extends proximally from the prosthetic valve inside the outer shaft.

13. The apparatus defined in claim 11

wherein each of the strands extends through the collar structure, around the prosthetic valve, to the tip structure.

14. The apparatus defined in claim 13

wherein each of the strands loops through the tip structure, and then back to a proximal portion of the apparatus.

15. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a sheath structure around the prosthetic valve inside the outer shaft, the sheath structure being longitudinally shiftable relative to the outer shaft.

16. The apparatus defined in claim 15

wherein the sheath structure is additionally longitudinally shiftable relative to the inner shaft.

17. The apparatus defined in claim 16

wherein the sheath structure is additionally longitudinally shiftable to expose the prosthetic valve for deployment in the patient.

18. The apparatus defined in claim 17

wherein, after the sheath structure has been shifted to expose the prosthetic valve, the sheath structure is further shiftable to again enclose the prosthetic valve.

19. The apparatus defined in claim 8 further comprising:

embolic protection structure selectively deployable through the lumen structure distally beyond the tip structure.

20. The apparatus defined in claim 19

wherein the embolic protection structure is resiliently biased to expand radially outwardly when deployed distally beyond the tip structure.

21. The apparatus defined in claim 19

wherein the embolic protection structure deploys to form a blood filter.

22. The apparatus defined in claim 20

wherein the embolic protection structure is collapsible to re-enter the lumen structure.

23. The apparatus defined in claim 19

wherein the embolic protection structure includes elements for pushing leaflets of a patient'"'"'s native heart valve radially outwardly.

24. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured for delivery of the prosthetic valve via the apex of the patient'"'"'s heart.

25. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of the shafts is substantially laterally rigid.

26. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein both of said shafts are laterally flexible along at least a portion of their lengths.

27. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising:

embolic protection structure selectively deployable distally from the tip structure.