INTRODUCER FOR PROSTHETIC HEART VALVE

• US 20110022165A1
• Filed: 07/19/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
• Original Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
• Inventors: Campbell, Louis A., Oba, Travis Z.
• Application Number:
  US12/839,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20110022165A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/2.11
• 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 17/3439 with means for changing the inner diameter of the cannula, e.g. expandable A61B17/3423, A61B17/3431 take precedence; catheters A61M25/0662
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3468 for implanting or removing devices, e.g. prostheses, implants, seeds, wires devices for implanting seeds A61M37/0069
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3425 for internal organs, e.g. heart ports
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2427 Devices for manipulating or deploying heart valves during implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2433 using balloon catheter

Abstract

The present disclosure concerns embodiments of an introducer that is adapted to facilitate insertion of a prosthetic device, such as a prosthetic heart valve, into a patient'"'"'s vasculature. In one embodiment, the introducer comprises an elongated body defining a central lumen extending between distal and proximal ends of the body. The introducer body can also have a longitudinally extending gap extending along the length of the body between the distal end proximal ends. The gap in the introducer allows a user to place the introducer around implant sutures by passing the sutures through the gap and into the central lumen. Similarly, the gap allows the introducer to be easily removed from the sutures and/or a delivery device by passing them outwardly through the gap.

Claims

1. A method of implanting a prosthetic heart valve comprising:

making an incision in the vasculature of a patient'"'"'s body;

threading one or more sutures through a native annulus of the heart and extending the one or more sutures outwardly through the incision and through a portion of the prosthetic valve;

placing an introducer around the one or more sutures and inserting the introducer into and through the incision such that a distal end and a proximal end of the introducer are on opposite sides of the incision;

sliding the prosthetic valve along the one or more sutures and through the introducer until the prosthetic valve engages the annulus;

removing the introducer from the incision; and

securing the valve to the annulus with the one or more sutures.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the introducer comprises an elongated body, a central passageway extending through the body, and a longitudinally extending gap in the introducer body extending from the proximal end to the distal end; and

the act of placing the introducer around the one or more sutures comprises passing the one or more sutures through the gap in the introducer body and into the central opening of the introducer.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, after removing the introducer from the incision, removing the introducer from a position surrounding the one or more sutures by passing the one or more sutures outwardly through the gap in the introducer body.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the incision is made in the aorta and the one or more sutures are secured to aortic annulus of the heart.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of inserting the introducer into and through the incision comprises positioning the distal end of the introducer in or immediately adjacent the native annulus.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the introducer comprises an elongated body, a central passageway extending through the body, and a longitudinally extending gap in the introducer body extending from the proximal end to the distal end; and

sliding the prosthetic valve through the introducer causes the introducer body to radially expand.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the act of sliding the prosthetic valve along the one or more sutures and through the introducer comprises pushing the prosthetic valve through the introducer with an elongated delivery apparatus having a distal end mounting the prosthetic valve, and the act of removing the introducer from a position surrounding the one or more sutures further comprises removing the introducer from a position surrounding the delivery apparatus by passing the delivery apparatus outwardly through the gap in the introducer body.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the gap widens from a first width at a location spaced from the proximal end to a second, greater width at the proximal end.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising radially expanding a stent of the prosthetic valve against the annulus to further anchor the valve to the annulus.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the act of radially expanding a stent of the prosthetic valve comprises inflating a balloon to cause expansion of the stent.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the introducer comprises a radially stretchable sleeve and prior to the act of inserting the introducer into the vasculature, the method further comprises placing the sleeve over an applicator frame to hold the sleeve in a radially expanded state, positioning the prosthetic valve in the applicator frame, and removing the applicator frame from the sleeve to allow the sleeve to collapse around the prosthetic valve.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the sleeve comprises a fabric.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the introducer comprises a generally tubular body comprising a flexible outer membrane, a flexible inner membrane, and a liquid contained between the inner and outer membranes.

14. A method of implanting a prosthetic heart valve comprising:

making an incision in the vasculature of a patient'"'"'s body;

inserting the introducer through the incision and into the vasculature of the patient;

providing a prosthetic valve mounted on a delivery device comprising an elongated handle;

advancing the prosthetic valve and a portion of the handle through the introducer until the prosthetic valve engages a native annulus of the heart; and

removing the introducer from the incision and away from a position surrounding the handle by passing the handle through a gap formed in a side of the introducer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein prior to the act of sliding the prosthetic valve and a portion of the handle through the introducer, the method further comprises threading one or more sutures through the native annulus and a sewing ring of the prosthetic valve and placing the introducer around the one or more sutures by passing the one or more sutures through the gap and into a central lumen of the introducer.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the introducer comprises a tapered distal end portion, the distal end portion comprising a plurality of circumferentially arrayed, radially expandable fingers having distal ends defining a distal opening of the introducer, the fingers being radially expandable from a non-expanded state to an expanded state as the prosthetic valve is advanced through the distal end portion.

17. An introducer for introducing a prosthetic device into the vasculature of a patient comprising:

an elongated body having distal and proximal ends; and

a central passageway extending through the body from the distal end to the proximal end;

the body comprising two opposing longitudinal edges defining a gap therebetween.

18. The introducer of claim 17, wherein the gap has a first width at a location spaced from the proximal end and increases to a second width, greater than the first width, at the proximal end.

19. The introducer of claim 17, wherein the body comprises a tapered distal end portion, the distal end portion comprising a plurality of circumferentially arrayed, radially expandable fingers having distal ends defining a distal opening of the body, the fingers being radially expandable from a non-expanded state to an expanded state so as to expand the distal opening.

20. The introducer of claim 19, wherein the distal end portion comprises longitudinally extending gaps between the fingers.

21. The introducer of claim 17, wherein the gap extends from the proximal end to the distal end.