HYPOTUBE SHAFT WITH ARTICULATION MECHANISM

• US 20130297013A1
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Klima, Daniel J., LaPlante, Jeffrey Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,277,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/2.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00318 Steering mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2427 Devices for manipulating or deploying heart valves during implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2436 Deployment by retracting a sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0006 for adjusting angular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/015 Details of the distal fixation of the movable mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0147 with movable mechanical means, e.g. pull wires

Abstract

A delivery device for a prosthetic heart valve includes a shaft, a sheath, and a pull wire. The shaft has a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis. The sheath is attached to the shaft and is rotatable about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The pull wire is mechanically coupled to the sheath such that movement of the pull wire rotates the sheath relative to the shaft. The sheath may be in a first position relative to the shaft when a distal end of the pull wire is in a first position and may be in a second position when the distal end of the pull wire is in a second position. Deflection of the sheath relative to the shaft enables a prosthetic valve to be axially aligned with the native valve annulus for deployment.

Claims

1. A device for delivering a medical aid into a patient, the device comprising:

an anchor having proximal and distal ends;

an arm connected to the distal end of the anchor and having a first lumen, the arm being rotatable about the anchor at an axis substantially perpendicular to the first lumen;

a pull wire having proximal and distal ends, the pull wire distal end being mechanically coupled to the arm; and

a flexible tube capable of passing through the first lumen, the flexible tube having a second lumen,

wherein the arm is in a first position when the pull wire distal end is in a first position and the arm is in a second position when the pull wire distal end is in a second position.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the flexible tube is in a first position when the pull wire distal end is in a first position and the flexible tube is in a second position when the pull wire distal end is in a second position.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the arm contacts the anchor when the arm is in a second position such that the arm can only move in one direction.

4. The device of claim 1, the arm including first and second portions mechanically joined.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation of the arm is through the central axis of and perpendicular to the first lumen.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation of the arm is perpendicular to an axis parallel to a central axis through the first lumen and is offset from the central axis of the first lumen.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a hollow shaft having proximal and distal ends, the anchor being sized to fit within the hollow shaft distal end; and

an elastomeric sleeve covering a portion of the arm and a portion of the hollow shaft.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the axes of the first and second lumens are parallel when the arm is in the first position and the axes of the first and second lumens are not parallel when the arm is in the second position.

9. A device for delivering a medical aid into a patient, the device comprising:

a hollow shaft having proximal and distal ends, a longitudinal axis, and a flexible portion between the proximal and distal ends, the flexible portion being capable of bending away from the longitudinal axis;

a guide bushing having proximal and distal ends and a first lumen, the bushing distal end being sized to matingly engage the hollow shaft distal end;

a pull wire having proximal and distal ends, the pull wire distal end being mechanically coupled to the guide bushing; and

a flexible tube capable of passing through the first lumen of the guide bushing, the flexible tube having a second lumen,

wherein the guide bushing is in a first position when the pull wire distal end is in a first position and the guide bushing is in a second position when the pull wire distal end is in a second position.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the flexible tube is in a first position when the pull wire distal end is in a first position and the flexible tube is in a second position when the pull wire distal end is in a second position.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the hollow shaft has an interior surface along its entire length, further comprising a resilient member attached to the interior surface of the hollow shaft on proximal and distal sides of the flexible portion of the hollow shaft.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the resilient member has a flat surface such that movement of the resilient member is substantially within a plane perpendicular to the flat surface.

14. The device of claim 9, further comprising an elastomeric sleeve that covers the flexible portion of the hollow shaft.

13. The device of 9, wherein the first lumen of the guide bushing and the longitudinal axis of the hollow shaft are parallel when the guide bushing is in the first position, and the first lumen of the guide bushing and longitudinal axis of the hollow shaft are not parallel when the guide bushing is in the second position.

15. A device for delivering a medical aid into a patient, the device comprising:

a hollow shaft having a proximal end, a distal end having an inner surface, a longitudinal axis, and a flexible portion between the proximal and distal ends, the flexible portion being capable of bending away from the longitudinal axis;

a pull wire having proximal and distal ends, the pull wire distal end being mechanically coupled to the inner surface of the hollow shaft; and

a flexible tube capable of passing through the inner surface at the distal end of the hollow shaft, said flexible tube having a second lumen,

wherein the hollow shaft distal end is in a first position when the pull wire distal end is in a first position and the hollow shaft distal end is in a second position when the pull wire distal end is in a second position.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the flexible tube is in a first position when the pull wire distal end is in a first position and the flexible tube is in a second position when the pull wire distal end is in a second position.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the hollow shaft has an interior surface along a portion of a length thereof, the interior surface being proximal to the inner surface of the hollow shaft distal end, further comprising a resilient member attached to the interior surface of the hollow shaft on proximal and distal sides of the flexible portion of the hollow shaft.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the resilient member has a flat surface such that movement of the resilient member is substantially within a plane perpendicular to the flat surface.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein an axis through the hollow shaft distal end and an axis through the hollow shaft proximal end are parallel when the hollow shaft distal end is in the first position, and wherein the axes of the hollow shaft distal end and the hollow shaft proximal end are not parallel when the hollow shaft distal end is in the second position.

20. The device of claim 15, further comprising an elastomeric sleeve that covers the flexible portion of the hollow shaft.