Transcatheter Valve Stent Anchors

• US 20140236292A1
• Filed: 01/27/2014
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St Jude Medical LLC (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: St Jude Medical Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Braido, Peter N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,597,180 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/2.38
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2418 Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2436 Deployment by retracting a sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0008 Fixation appliances for connecting prostheses to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0013 Horseshoe-shaped, e.g. crescent-shaped, C-shaped, U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/005 Rosette-shaped, e.g. star-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 differing in diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/006 modular

Abstract

A stent for use in a prosthetic heart valve has a plurality of expandable and collapsible closed cells, a portion of which form an annulus section adapted for placement within the annulus of the native heart valve. Anchor features of the stent residing within at least some closed cells are adapted to engage tissue of the heart, including native valve leaflets, the sinotubular junction, or another implanted device when the prosthetic valve is implanted in the heart. The anchor features may help to retain the prosthetic valve in position, without interfering with the opening and closing of the valve leaflets. Furthermore, the anchor features may be configured to allow the stent to be resheathed into a delivery device after the portion of the stent with the anchor feature has expanded out of the delivery device.

Claims

1. A stent for use with a prosthetic heart valve for replacement of a native valve, the stent comprising:

an expandable stent body having a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the stent body including a plurality of closed cells and at least one anchor feature formed integrally with the stent, the anchor feature residing within one of the closed cells and having an engagement portion adapted to engage a surface in the heart.

2. A stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engagement portion is configured to engage at least one of a portion of a leaflet of the native valve or a portion of a sinotubular junction of the heart.

3. A stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stent is arranged in the collapsed configuration when received within a delivery sheath overlying the stent in a sheathed position, and the stent is arranged in the expanded configuration when the sheath is not overlying the stent in an unsheathed position, the anchor feature being oriented at an oblique angle to a longitudinal axis of the delivery sheath so that the stent may be resheathed when the sheath is in a position between the sheathed position and the unsheathed position.

4. A stent as claimed in claim 3, wherein the anchor feature slopes radially outwardly from the stent when the stent is in the expanded configuration.

5. A stent as claimed in claim 3, wherein the anchor feature extends axially when the stent is in the collapsed configuration.

6. A stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engagement portion is configured to engage both a portion of a leaflet of the native valve and a portion of a sinotubular junction of the heart.

7. A stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engagement portion is configured to engage a device implanted in the patient'"'"'s heart.

8. A stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engagement portion includes an anchor tip with a first end connected to the stent, a second end connected to the stent, and an intermediate portion between the first and second ends.

9. A stent as claimed in claim 8, wherein the intermediate portion of the anchor tip is acutely angled.

10. A stent as claimed in claim 8, wherein the intermediate portion of the anchor tip is blunted.

11. A stent as claimed in claim 8, wherein the intermediate portion of the anchor tip comprises at least two separate pieces.

12. A stent as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one of the at least two separate pieces includes a blunted end.

13. A stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stent further comprises a first annular row of cells connected to a second annular row of cells by at least one connector, the anchor feature being connected to the at least one connector.

14. A stent as claimed in claim 13, wherein the at least one connector is a commissure feature.

15. A stent as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least two anchor features are each connected at a first end of the anchor feature to a first connector and are each connected at a second end of the anchor feature to a second connector to form a nested anchor feature configuration.

16. A stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stent further comprises a first annular row of cells connected to a second annular row of cells by at least one connector, one end of the anchor feature being connected to the stent proximally of the at least one connector.

17. A stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stent further comprises a first annular row of cells connected to a second annular row of cells by at least one connector, one end of the anchor feature being connected to the stent distally of the at least one connector.

18. A stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engagement portion of the anchor feature flares distally from the stent.

19. A stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engagement portion of the anchor feature flares proximally from the stent.

20. A stent as claimed in claim 1, the stent body including a first anchor feature and a second anchor feature, wherein the first anchor feature has an engagement portion that flares proximally from the stent and the second anchor feature has an engagement portion that flares distally from the stent.

21. A stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anchor feature includes a layer of animal tissue.

22. A stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anchor feature includes a layer of a fabric.

23. A stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anchor feature includes a water-absorbing polymer.

24. A stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anchor feature includes a biocompatible adhesive.

25. A stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anchor feature includes a bio-absorbable material.

26. A stent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anchor feature is impregnated with collagen.