CRIMPING DEVICE AND METHOD OF USE

• US 20110056064A1
• Filed: 08/27/2010
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic 3F Therapeutics, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic 3F Therapeutics, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Malewicz, Andrzej M., Weston, Matthew W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,479,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/515
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2412 with soft flexible valve members, e.g. tissue valves shaped like natural valves check valves with flexible valve members in general F16K15/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2427 Devices for manipulating or deploying heart valves during implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9522 Means for mounting a stent or stent-graft onto or into a placement instrument
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 27/10 inserting fittings into hoses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49925 Inward deformation of aperture or hollow body wall
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53265 with work-holder for assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53657 to apply or remove a resilient article [e.g., tube, sleeve, etc.]

Abstract

A crimping tool for crimping a stented heart valve comprises a housing having a front wall and a back wall, a compression assembly disposed between the front wall and the back wall and including a stent receiving chamber therewithin for receiving a stented heart valve, and a delivery device holder slidably coupled to the front wall of the housing. The compression assembly is movable between an uncrimped position and a crimped position to reduce the diameter of the stented heart valve.

Claims

1. A crimping tool comprising:

a housing having a front wall and a back wall;

a compression assembly disposed between the front wall and the back wall and including a stent receiving chamber therewithin for receiving a stent, the compression assembly being movable between an uncrimped position and a crimped position; and

a delivery device holder slidably coupled to the front wall of the housing.

2. The crimping tool of claim 1, wherein the delivery device holder comprises a sliding plate and a seat member structured to receive a delivery device.

3. The crimping tool of claim 2, wherein the delivery device holder is slidable between a first position and a second position, the seat member being substantially aligned with a center axis of the chamber in the second position.

4. The crimping tool of claim 3 further comprising a delivery device holder engagement member extending from the front wall of the housing.

5. The crimping tool of claim 4, wherein the delivery device holder engagement member is positionable within a slot in the sliding plate of the delivery device holder.

6. The crimping tool of claim 5, wherein the delivery device holder engagement member is movable between a first position in which the delivery device holder is slidable relative to the front wall and a second position in which the delivery device holder is fixed relative to the front wall.

7. The crimping tool of claim 6 further comprising a second delivery device holder engagement member extending from the front wall that is positionable within a second slot in the sliding plate.

8. The crimping tool of claim 1 further comprising an access aperture in the front wall structured to provide access to the chamber of the compression assembly.

9. The crimping tool of claim 1, wherein the compression assembly includes a plurality of bars operably connected to the housing.

10. The crimping tool of claim 9 further comprising a drive wheel operably coupled to the plurality of bars for driving movement of the compression assembly between the uncrimped position and the crimped position.

11. The crimping tool of claim 10, wherein each of the bars includes a drive pin slot and a guide pin slot.

12. The crimping tool of claim 11, wherein the drive wheel includes a plurality of drive wheel slots, the drive wheel operably coupled to the bars with a plurality of drive pins extending between the drive pin slots in the bars and the drive wheel slots.

13. The crimping tool of claim 12 further comprising:

a plurality of radially extending slots in the front wall; and

a plurality of radially extending slots in the back wall substantially aligned with the radially extending slots in the front wall.

14. The crimping tool of claim 13, wherein each of the bars is slidably coupled to the front wall and the back wall with a guide pin extending through the guide pin slot and into a corresponding one of the radially extending slots in the front wall and a corresponding one of the radially extending slots in the back wall.

15. The crimping tool of claim 14, wherein the drive pin slot and the guide pin slot are aligned with a center axis extending between a proximal end and a distal end of the bar.

16. A crimping tool comprising:

a housing having a front wall and a back wall;

a drive wheel movably positioned within the housing, the drive wheel including an actuation lever for moving the wheel between a first position and a second position;

a plurality of bars operably coupled to the drive wheel and having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the bars including a chamfered leading edge and an opposing planar surface and the proximal end of the bars including first and second legs forming a proximal opening therebetween; and

a chamber defined by the planar surfaces at the distal ends of the bars, the chamber being reducible in size from a first enlarged size to a second reduced size as the actuation lever moves from the first position to the second position.

17. The crimping tool of claim 16, wherein the chamfered leading edge of each of the bars lies adjacent to the planar surface of an adjacent bar.

18. The crimping tool of claim 17, wherein the drive wheel is positioned within the proximal openings of the bars.

19. The crimping tool of claim 18, wherein each of the bars includes a drive pin slot and a guide pin slot.

20. The crimping tool of claim 19, wherein the drive wheel includes a plurality of drive wheel slots, the drive wheel operably coupled to the bars with a plurality of drive pins extending between the drive pin slots in the bars and the drive wheel slots.

21. The crimping tool of claim 20 further comprising:

a first plurality of radially extending slots in the front wall; and

a second plurality of radially extending slots in the back wall;

wherein each of the bars is operably coupled to the housing with a guide pin extending through the guide pin slot and into a corresponding one of the radially extending slots in the front wall and the back wall.

22. The crimping tool of claim 21, wherein the drive pin slot and the guide pin slot are positioned along an axis extending through a center plane of the bar.

23. The crimping tool of claim 16 further comprising a delivery device holder movably coupled to the front wall of the housing.

24. The crimping tool of claim 23, wherein the delivery device holder comprises a seat member structured to receive a delivery device.

25. The crimping tool of claim 24, wherein the delivery device holder is slidable between a first position and a second position, the seat member being substantially aligned with a center axis of the chamber in the second position.

26. The crimping tool of claim 25 further comprising at least one delivery device holder engagement member extending from the front wall of the housing.

27. The crimping tool of claim 26, wherein the at least one delivery device holder engagement member extends through a slot in the delivery device holder.

28. The crimping tool of claim 27, wherein the at least one delivery device holder engagement member is movable between a first position in which the delivery device holder is slidable relative to the front wall and a second position in which the delivery device holder is fixed relative to the front wall.

29. A method of crimping a stent comprising:

inserting a stent into a chamber of a compression assembly, the compression assembly having a plurality of bars operably coupled to a drive wheel having an actuation lever, each of the bars including a chamfered leading edge and an opposing straight edge; and

operating the actuation lever to rotate the drive wheel such that the chamfered leading edges of the bars advance along the opposing straight edge of an adjacent bar to reduce the chamber from a first enlarged size to a second reduced size.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein reducing the chamber from the first enlarged size to the second reduced size reduces the diameter of the stent to approximately 50% of the original diameter.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein each of the bars is pivotally coupled to the drive wheel with a drive pin.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising a housing structured to receive the compression assembly therein, wherein each of the bars is slidably coupled to the housing with a guide pin.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the guide pins slidably engage radially extending guide pin slots in the housing.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein each of the bars includes a pair of proximal legs defining an opening therebetween that is structured to receive a portion of the drive wheel.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the bars are operably coupled to the drive wheel with a drive pin extending through a drive wheel slot in the drive wheel and into a drive pin slot in the pair of proximal legs.

36. The method of claim 29 further comprising:

providing a housing structured to receive the compression assembly therein; and

providing a delivery device holder slidably coupled to the housing.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the delivery device holder comprises a seat member structured to receive a delivery device.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the delivery device holder is slidable between a first position and a second position, the seat member being substantially aligned with a center axis of the chamber in the second position.