TRANSAPICAL DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR HEART VALVES
First Claim
1. A medical introducer and heart valve delivery catheter combination, comprising;
- a delivery catheter having a distal balloon of sufficient diameter to expand a crimped heart valve thereon; and
an introducer that receives the delivery catheter therethrough has an elongated tubular sheath extending distally from a proximal housing containing at least one introducer valve for fluidly sealing around a proximal length of the delivery catheter, the sheath including a proximal segment extending a length L of at least one half the length of the sheath and having a first stiffness, and a distal section having a length l that has a second stiffness different than the first stiffness.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A delivery system and method for delivering a prosthetic heart valve to the aortic valve annulus. The system includes a delivery catheter having a steering mechanism thereon for delivering a balloon-expandable prosthetic heart valve to the aortic annulus in an antegrade fashion through an introducer passing into the left ventricle through its apex. The introducer may have a more floppy distal section than a proximal section to reduce trauma to the heart wall while preserving good operating field stability. The delivery catheter includes a deflecting segment just proximal to a distal balloon to facilitate positioning of the prosthetic heart valve in the proper orientation within the aortic annulus. A trigger in a catheter handle may be coupled to a deflection wire that actuates the deflecting segment, while a slider in the handle controls retraction of a valve pusher. The prosthetic heart valve may be installed over the existing calcified leaflets, and a pre-dilation valvuloplasty procedure may also be utilized.
206 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A medical introducer and heart valve delivery catheter combination, comprising;
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a delivery catheter having a distal balloon of sufficient diameter to expand a crimped heart valve thereon; and an introducer that receives the delivery catheter therethrough has an elongated tubular sheath extending distally from a proximal housing containing at least one introducer valve for fluidly sealing around a proximal length of the delivery catheter, the sheath including a proximal segment extending a length L of at least one half the length of the sheath and having a first stiffness, and a distal section having a length l that has a second stiffness different than the first stiffness. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A medical introducer and heart valve delivery catheter combination, comprising;
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a delivery catheter having a distal balloon of sufficient diameter to expand a crimped heart valve thereon, the delivery catheter including a marker band at a proximal end of the balloon, the delivery catheter also including a tubular valve pusher that slides over the catheter and moves longitudinally with respect to the balloon and has a distal marker band; and an introducer having an elongated tubular sheath extending distally from a proximal housing containing at least one introducer valve for fluidly sealing around a proximal length of the delivery catheter, the sheath having a throughbore for passage of the delivery catheter and a marker dot array around its distal tip to distinguish the distal tip from the marker bands of the balloon and the pusher. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A medical introducer and heart valve delivery catheter combination, comprising;
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a delivery catheter having a distal balloon of sufficient diameter to expand a crimped heart valve thereon; an introducer having an elongated tubular sheath extending distally from a proximal housing containing at least one introducer valve for fluidly sealing around a proximal length of the delivery catheter; and a tubular loader defining a throughbore that receives a distal portion of the delivery catheter, and includes structure for engaging mating structure on a proximal end of the introducer housing and a distal nose that extends through and opens the introducer valve and facilitates passage therethrough of the balloon of the delivery catheter, the loader having a proximal housing with a loader seal for fluidly sealing around the introducer sheath, and a single-handed vent for aspirating air from within the loader. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification