Prosthetic Valve With Device for Restricting Expansion

• US 20100256723A1
• Filed: 04/03/2009
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Murray, Robert
• Application Number:
  US12/417,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20100256723A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.200
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2418 Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/005 Rosette-shaped, e.g. star-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/008 paraboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0048 differing in mechanical expandability, e.g. in mechanical, self- or balloon expandability

Abstract

A prosthetic valve having a stent structure with a prosthetic valve component secured therein is disclosed that includes a device for restricting expansion, i.e., an expansion restrictor device, disposed at a blood inflow end of the stent structure. The expansion restrictor device defines a deployed diameter of the stent structure to prevent the prosthetic valve from being over-sized upon initial deployment and/or from continued expansion in vivo. The expansion restrictor device may be a loop of suture, flexible line, thread or cord for defining or constraining a circumference of the prosthetic valve with a loop diameter that is less than or substantially equal to a diameter of the treatment site in which the prosthetic valve is to be deployed in vivo.

Claims

1. A prosthetic valve comprising:

a tubular stent structure having a blood inflow end and a blood outflow end;

a prosthetic valve component disposed within and secured to the stent structure, the prosthetic valve component including valve leaflets that open toward the blood outflow end of the stent structure; and

an expansion restrictor device disposed at the blood inflow end of the stent structure, wherein the expansion restrictor device defines a deployed diameter of at least the blood inflow end of the stent structure.

2. The prosthetic valve of claim 1, wherein the expansion restrictor device is a loop of suture, flexible line, thread or cord.

3. The prosthetic valve of claim 2, wherein the stent structure includes eyelets disposed around the blood inflow end through which the loop is threaded.

4. The prosthetic valve of claim 1, wherein the stent structure is self-expanding.

5. The prosthetic valve of claim 4, wherein the expansion restrictor device radially constrains the stent structure such that the deployed diameter of the blood inflow end of the stent structure is less than an expanded diameter of the stent structure.

6. The prosthetic valve of claim 5, wherein the expansion restrictor device is a loop of a non-distensible thread-like material.

7. The prosthetic valve of claim 5, wherein the blood outflow end of the stent structure has a different deployed diameter that is larger than the deployed diameter of the blood inflow end of the stent structure.

8. The prosthetic valve of claim 7, wherein the deployed diameter of the blood outflow end of the stent structure is substantially equal to the expanded diameter of the stent structure.

9. The prosthetic valve of claim 1, wherein the stent structure is balloon-expandable.

10. The prosthetic valve of claim 9, wherein the expansion restrictor device prevents over-expansion of the stent structure upon deployment of the prosthetic valve at a treatment site.

11. The prosthetic valve of claim 10, wherein the expansion restrictor device is a loop of suture, flexible line, thread or cord.

12. A method of deploying a prosthetic valve within an incompetent or insufficient heart valve, the method comprising:

positioning a prosthetic valve within the heart valve, wherein the prosthetic valve includes a tubular stent structure having secured therein a prosthetic valve component with valve leaflets and an expansion restrictor device disposed about a blood inflow end of the stent structure; and

deploying the prosthetic valve into partial apposition with the heart valve, wherein the expansion restrictor device prevents a deployed diameter of the blood inflow end of the stent structure from applying a radial force against the heart valve.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the stent structure is self-expanding.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the stent structure is balloon-expandable.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the expansion restrictor device is a loop of suture, flexible line, thread or cord.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a diameter of the heart valve; and

sizing the loop to have a diameter that is less than the heart valve diameter such that the deployed diameter of the blood inflow end of the stent structure is less than the heart valve diameter.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of sizing the loop is completed prior to the step of positioning the prosthetic valve within the heart valve.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of sizing the loop is completed after the step of positioning the prosthetic valve within the heart valve.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a diameter of the heart valve; and

sizing the loop to have a diameter that is substantially equal to the heart valve diameter such that the deployed diameter of the blood inflow end of the stent structure is substantially equal to the heart valve diameter.