BEATING HEART BUTTRESS AND IMPLANTATION METHOD TO PREVENT PROLAPSE OF A HEART VALVE

• US 20120150290A1
• Filed: 11/11/2011
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shlomo Gabbay
• Original Assignee: Shlomo Gabbay
• Inventors: Gabbay, Shlomo
• Granted Patent: US 9,005,279 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/2.37
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2454 Means for preventing inversion of the valve leaflets, e.g. chordae tendineae prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/246 Devices for obstructing a leak through a native valve in a closed condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2466 Delivery devices therefor

Abstract

An apparatus and method for mitigating prolapsed are disclosed. The apparatus includes a contact member and an elongated rod that can be used to hold the contact member in position for coapting with a patient'"'"'s native leaflets. A similarly configured sizing apparatus can also be used to facilitate implantation.

Claims

1. An apparatus for mitigating prolapse comprising:

a support member having a flexible buttress; and

an elongated rod extending generally axially from the buttress and being dimensioned and configured with a length sufficient to extend from the annulus and anchor in tissue axially displaced from the valve annulus, whereby the support member and buttress can be maintained in a desired position relative to the patient'"'"'s heart valve annulus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tissue is located at or adjacent the apex of the heart.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support member further comprises a flexible annular structure configured to be deformable between a reduced and expanded cross-sectional dimension, the annular structure being dimensioned and configured in the expanded cross-sectional dimension to engage the valve annulus and to maintain a position of the buttress to facilitate coaptation of at least one viable leaflet with the buttress.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the annular structure comprises a substrate of a compliant material, such as silicon, covered with a substantially biocompatible layer of biological material.

5. A method for implanting a cardiac prosthesis, comprising

creating an opening in tissue of the patient'"'"'s heart at a location generally aligned with a target implantation location;

advancing an implanter through the opening to position the heart valve prosthesis adjacent the annulus such that a buttress of the prosthesis is arranged and configured to coapt with at least one viable leaftlet of the patient'"'"'s existing valve and a rod extends from the prosthesis through the opening;

securing the rod to the tissue to hold the prosthesis at its implantation position; and

removing the implanter and closing the opening with the rod remaining to hold the prosthesis at the annulus without requiring the use of sutures at the annulus.

6. The method of clam 5, wherein prior to implanting the prosthesis, the method comprises:

using a sizing apparatus that is inserted through the opening to position a contact surface of the sizing apparatus at the valve annulus; and

selecting the prosthesis to be implanted based on the use of the sizing apparatus.