DELIVERY AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS FOR COLLAPSIBLE/EXPANDABLE PROSTHETIC HEART VALVES

• US 20150374492A1
• Filed: 09/04/2015
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: St Jude Medical Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Alkhatib, Yousef F.
• Granted Patent: US 10,258,469 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2418 Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents
• 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 2/2439 Expansion controlled by filaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9511 the retaining means being filaments or wires

Abstract

A system for delivering a collapsible and re-expandable prosthetic heart valve into a patient includes a valve support structure around which the valve is disposed in a collapsed condition. A sheath structure surrounds the collapsed valve, but can be moved relative to the valve to uncover it for expansion at the desired implant site in the patient. The sheath structure may be variously mounted and moved to deploy the valve in various ways. For example, the sheath structure may include multiple parts, each of which can be moved separately to separately deploy various parts of the valve. The apparatus may have other aspects, such as the ability to reverse deployment of the valve, the ability to pass other instrumentation through the valve delivery apparatus, the ability to be smoothly withdrawn from the patient after deployment of the valve, etc.

Claims

1. A method of operating apparatus for delivering a collapsible and re-expandable prosthetic heart valve to an implant site in a patient comprising:

introducing the apparatus into the patient in a distal direction along a pathway in the patient, with the valve being disposed in a collapsed condition around a valve support structure of the apparatus, and with a sheath structure of the apparatus surrounding the valve; and

moving the sheath structure in the distal direction relative to the valve support structure to completely uncover the valve for expansion at the implant site.

2. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:

moving the sheath structure relative to the valve support structure after expansion of the valve so that the sheath structure covers the valve support structure; and

withdrawing the apparatus from the patient.

3. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the valve is at a first location in the apparatus that is remote from an operator of the apparatus, and wherein the moving moves the sheath structure to a second location that is more remote from the operator than the first location.

4. The method defined in claim 3 wherein during the introducing the sheath structure is covered by a second sheath structure, and wherein the method further comprises:

prior to the moving, moving the second sheath structure to a third location that is closer to the operator than the first location.

5. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:

passing additional instrumentation through the valve support structure to a location in the patient that is more remote from an operator of the apparatus than the valve support structure.

6. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:

passing fluid through a portion of the valve support structure from a location, which is closer to an operator of the apparatus than the valve support structure, to the valve.

7. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:

drawing a portion of the valve radially inwardly toward the valve support structure after the moving has uncovered that portion of the valve.