Surgical implement particularly useful for implanting prosthetic heart valves, valve holder particularly useful therewith and surgical method including such implement

• US 5,871,489 A
• Filed: 09/13/1996
• Issued: 02/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SMT Ltd. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SMT Ltd. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ovil, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, THUY D
• Application Number:
  US08/712,680
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 606/148, 606/139, 623/2, 623/900
• US Class Current: 606/148
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00473 Distal part, e.g. tip or head A61B2017/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2427 Devices for manipulating or deploying heart valves during implantation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/90 Stent for heart valve

Abstract

A surgical implement particularly useful for implanting a prosthetic valve in an excised annulus includes a manually grippable handle, and a suture retainer carried by the handle and having an outer face carrying a coiled spring whose coils define an annular array of slits each having opposed yielding surfaces for receiving and releasably retaining sutures between selected coils. Optimum spacing of the sutures according to the shape of the excised annulus is attained by providing reference ribs between selected coils of the spring, and also by making the outer annular face of the suture retainer of substantially the same shape as that of the excised annulus. Implements are described, with a suture retainer and without a suture retainer, including an illuminating device for artificially illuminating the working area. Also described is a method of implanting a prosthetic valve in a quick and efficient manner using such implements.

Claims

1. A valve holder for holding a prosthetic valve having a sewing ring for implanting the valve in a working area, and a pivotal valve member pivotal to open and closed positions;

said valve holder including an attaching section for attaching the valve holder to a manipulatable surgical implement, and a releasble holding section for releasably holding the prosthetic valve;

said valve holder being formed with a bore extending through said attaching section and dimensioned to receive a light conductor from said surgical implement and to space the tip of the light conductor from said pivotal valve member;

said releasable holding device holding the prosthetic valve with the valve member in its open position to permit light from the light conductor to pass through the valve holder and the prosthetic valve held thereby to illuminate the working area.

2. The valve holder according to claim 1, for a prosthetic valve which includes two pivotal valve members in the form of leaflets, said releasable holding device holding the pivotal valve member with both leaflets pivotted to their open positions.

3. The valve holder according to claim 2, wherein said valve holder comprises:

a pair of arms pivotally mounted at their upper ends to assume either a holding position for holding a prosthetic valve, or a releasing position for releasing the prosthetic valve;

and a thread engaging said arms for retaining them in said holding position, but being severable to permit the arms to collapse to said releasing position;

said pair of arms being formed at their upper ends with a central axial bore for receiving said light conductor;

said upper ends of the pair of arms being pivotally mounted by a pair of hinges at diametrically opposite sides of the arms on opposite sides of said central axial bore.

4. The valve holder according to claim 3, wherein said pair of arms include lower faces formed with curved, tapered ribs engageable with the pivotal leaflet valve members of the prosthetic valve for retaining said leaflets in their open positions.

5. The valve holder according to claim 2, wherein said holding device comprises a pair of hooks pivotally mounted at opposite ends of the valve holder for releasably engaging the prosthetic valve, and a thread engaging said hooks for retaining them in a holding position with respect to the prosthetic valve, but being severable to permit the hooks to pivot to a releasing position to release the prosthetic valve.

6. The valve holder according to claim 1, wherein the prosthetic valve includes a single valve member pivotally mounted to a transversely-extending bar, said holding device comprising a pair of tapered pins spaced from each other to straddle said transverse bar and to pivot the valve member to its open position, said tapered pins also being formed with bores therethrough for conducting the light from the light conductor to said working area.

7. The combination of a valve holder according to claim 1, and a prosthetic valve releasably held by said valve holder.

8. The valve holder according to claim 1, wherein the implement includes an intermediate section between said handle and said valve holder, which intermediate section is bendable laterally of the handle axis and retains its bent position to facilitate manipulating the valve holder, and the prosthetic valve held by, with respect to the working area.