Driver tool for heart valve prosthesis fasteners

• US 6,074,418 A
• Filed: 12/01/1998
• Issued: 06/13/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: St Jude Medical Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: St Jude Medical Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Anderson, Kimberly A., Buchanan, Eric S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Willse, David H.
• Application Number:
  US09/203,169
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 623/2, 81/57.22, 81/57.36
• US Class Current: 623/2.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/068 Surgical staplers , e.g. containing multiple staples or clampsstaplers containing only one staple A61B17/10; magazines or containers for staples A61B17/105; for performing anastomosis A61B17/115; staplers in general B25C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/072 for applying a row of staples in a single action , e.g. the staples being applied simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1155 Circular staplers comprising a plurality of staples
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0649 Coils or spirals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07214 Stapler heads
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2409 Support rings therefor, e.g. for connecting valves to tissue annuloplasty rings A61F2/2442
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2427 Devices for manipulating or deploying heart valves during implantation

Abstract

A driver tool which drives helical fasteners through a heart valve component into tissue. The tool has a tool housing with a distal end couplable to engage the implanted component. A drive shaft at the proximal end of the driver tool couples to a driving force. Multiple driver tips couple to helical fasteners for the heart valve component. A drive train in the tool housing distributes the drive to the driver tips.

Claims

1. A driver tool for a heart valve prosthesis component for driving helical fasteners through the heart valve prosthesis component into a tissue annulus of the heart, comprising:

a tool housing having a distal end couplable to engage the heart valve prosthesis component and a proximal end spaced away from the distal end; and

a drive train mounted in the tool housing having a drive shaft at the proximal end couplable to a driving force and a plurality of driver tips at the distal end couplable to the helical fasteners in the heart valve prosthesis component, the drive train distributing the driving force to each of the driver tips.

2. The driver tool of claim 1, further comprising:

a first handle extending from the proximal end and manually actuatable to couple a first actuation motion; and

a disengagement mechanism in the tool housing receiving the first actuation motion and disengaging the driver tips from the helical fasteners responsive to the first actuation motion.

3. The driver tool of claim 2, further comprising:

a second handle extending from the proximal end and manually actuatable to couple a second actuation motion; and

a decoupling mechanism in the tool housing receiving the second actuation motion and decoupling the driver tool from the heart valve prosthesis component responsive to the second actuation motion.

4. The driver tool of claim 1, wherein the drive train further comprises flexible shafts coupling the driving force to the driver tips.

5. The driver tool of claim 4, wherein the flexible shafts make a turn to engage the driver tips.

6. The driver tool of claim 5, wherein the flexible shafts make turns in a different radial direction for each flexible shaft.

7. The driver tool of claim 1 wherein the drive train further comprises:

a turntable with a central hub coupled to the drive shaft and a circular gear rack spaced radially outward from the central hub;

a plurality of gears engaging the circular gear rack, each gear having engaging a driver tip.

8. The driver tool of claim 7 further comprising:

a spring arrangement coupled to the plurality of driver tips to provide axial force to the driver tips.

9. The driver tool of claim 8 wherein the drive shaft has a tapered surface coupled to the spring arrangement controlling the axial force to the driver tips.

10. The driver tool of claim 7 wherein the plurality of gears are beveled.

11. The driver tool of claim 1 wherein the helical fasteners are self-advancing.

12. The driver tool of claim 1 wherein the drive train comprises a central gear coupled to the drive shaft and a plurality of satellite gears engaging the central gear and coupled to the driver tips.

13. A driver tool for driving helical fasteners through a heart valve component into tissue, comprising:

a tool housing having a distal end couplable to engage the heart valve component and a proximal end spaced away from the distal end;

a drive shaft extending from the proximal end, the drive shaft being twistable by a twisting force;

a plurality of driver tips extending from the distal end, each driver tip couplable to a helical fastener for the heart valve component; and

a drive shaft coupled to a drive handle and extending into the tool housing;

a drive train in the tool housing coupling the twisting from the drive shaft to the driver tips.

14. A method of attaching an outer ring of a heart valve prosthesis component into a tissue annulus of a heart with helical fasteners, comprising:

providing a driver tool which has a handle extending from a drive shaft on a proximal end for distributing drive to multiple driver tips on a distal end;

attaching the outer ring of the heart valve prosthesis component to the distal end;

placing the multiple helical fasteners on the multiple driver tips and passing them through the outer ring of the heart valve prosthesis component;

placing the outer ring into the tissue annulus of the heart

driving the multiple helical fasteners into the annulus of the heart by twisting the drive shaft; and

removing the driver tool from the outer ring, leaving the outer ring attached to the tissue annulus.

15. A kit for attaching a heart valve prosthesis component to an annulus of tissue in a heart, comprising:

an outer ring of a heart valve prosthesis component;

a driver tool having a handle extending from a drive shaft on a proximal end and distributing drive to a plurality of driver tips on a distal end of the driver tool, the distal end being removably attached to the outer ring of the heart valve prosthesis; and

a plurality of helical fasteners passing through the outer ring of the heart valve prosthesis, each one of the helical fasteners removably coupling to one of the plurality of driver tips.