Catheter system for repairing a mitral valve annulus
First Claim
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1. A catheter system for repairing an annular organ structure comprising:
- a flexible catheter shaft having a distal tip section, a distal end, a proximal end, and at least one lumen extending between the distal end and the proximal end;
a flexible tissue-contactor member located at the distal tip section and inside the at least one lumen of said catheter shaft for contacting an inner wall of the annular organ structure, wherein said tissue-contactor member is deployable out of the at least one lumen by a tissue-contactor deployment mechanism and is expandable upon deployment configured to have a narrow middle region between an enlarged distal region and an enlarged proximal region suitable for compressively sandwiching said inner wall of the annular organ structure;
a plurality of electrode elements located at a periphery of the middle region of said tissue-contractor member suitable for contacting said inner wall of the annular organ structure;
a handle attached to the proximal end of the catheter shaft, wherein the handle comprises the tissue-contactor deployment mechanism; and
a high frequency current generator, wherein an electrical conductor means for transmitting high frequency current to said electrode elements is provided.
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Abstract
A catheter system and methods for repairing a valvular annulus or an annular organ structure of a patient comprising sandwiching and compressing the annulus and applying heat sufficient to shrink or tighten tissue surrounding the annulus defect.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A catheter system for repairing an annular organ structure comprising:
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a flexible catheter shaft having a distal tip section, a distal end, a proximal end, and at least one lumen extending between the distal end and the proximal end;
a flexible tissue-contactor member located at the distal tip section and inside the at least one lumen of said catheter shaft for contacting an inner wall of the annular organ structure, wherein said tissue-contactor member is deployable out of the at least one lumen by a tissue-contactor deployment mechanism and is expandable upon deployment configured to have a narrow middle region between an enlarged distal region and an enlarged proximal region suitable for compressively sandwiching said inner wall of the annular organ structure;
a plurality of electrode elements located at a periphery of the middle region of said tissue-contractor member suitable for contacting said inner wall of the annular organ structure;
a handle attached to the proximal end of the catheter shaft, wherein the handle comprises the tissue-contactor deployment mechanism; and
a high frequency current generator, wherein an electrical conductor means for transmitting high frequency current to said electrode elements is provided. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for operating a catheter system for repairing an annulus comprising compressively sandwiching said annulus by a tissue-contactor member having electrode elements and delivering high frequency energy at or near said annulus through said electrode elements, wherein the catheter system comprises a flexible catheter shaft having a distal tip section, a distal end, a proximal end, and at least one lumen extending between the distal end and the proximal end;
- a flexible tissue-contactor member located at the distal tip section and inside the at least one lumen of said catheter shaft for contacting an inner wall of the annulus, wherein said tissue-contactor member is deployable out of the at least one lumen by a tissue-contactor deployment mechanism and is expandable upon deployment configured to have a narrow middle region between an enlarged distal region and an enlarged proximal region suitable for compressively sandwiching said inner wall of the annulus;
a plurality of electrode elements located at the periphery of the tissue-contactor member suitable for contacting said inner wall of the annulus;
a handle attached to the proximal end of the catheter shaft, wherein the handle comprises the tissue-contactor deployment mechanism; and
a high frequency current generator, wherein an electrical conductor means for transmitting high frequency current to said electrode elements is provided;the method comprising; (a) introducing the catheter system through a bodily opening to an annulus;
(b) deploying the tissue-contactor member of the catheter shaft at about the inner wall of the annulus;
(c) postioning the electrode elements so as to enable the electrode elements compressively sandwiching said inner wall of the annulus; and
(d) applying high frequency current through the electrical conductor means to the electrode elements for repairing the annulus. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
- a flexible tissue-contactor member located at the distal tip section and inside the at least one lumen of said catheter shaft for contacting an inner wall of the annulus, wherein said tissue-contactor member is deployable out of the at least one lumen by a tissue-contactor deployment mechanism and is expandable upon deployment configured to have a narrow middle region between an enlarged distal region and an enlarged proximal region suitable for compressively sandwiching said inner wall of the annulus;
Specification