Delivery system for a stentless valve bioprosthesis

• US 6,682,558 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2001
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3F Therapeutics Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: 3F Therapeutics Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Tu, Hosheng, Quijano, Rodolfo C.
• Primary Examiner(s): McDermott, Corrine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Matthews, William H.
• Application Number:
  US09/853,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20020169456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 623/2.1, 623/2.11, 623/2.12, 623/2.13, 623/2.15, 623/2.16, 623/1.24, 623/1.26, 623/1.11, 623/1.23, 606/108
• US Class Current: 623/2.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2412 with soft flexible valve members, e.g. tissue valves shaped like natural valves check valves with flexible valve members in general F16K15/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2436 Deployment by retracting a sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2475 Venous valves

Abstract

The current invention discloses a catheter and a method for delivering a stentless bioprosthesis in a body channel, the method comprising percutaneously introducing a catheter into the body channel, wherein the catheter contains said stentless bioprosthesis at a retracted state; and disengaging said stentless bioprosthesis out of a distal opening of the catheter by a pulling mechanism associated with the catheter structure.

Claims

1. A method for delivering a hollow tubular collapsible prosthesis to an anatomical site in a body channel, the method comprising the steps of:

introducing a catheter into the body channel, wherein the catheter contains said prosthesis at a retracted state;

advancing the catheter to the anatomical site;

maintaining a distal portion of said prosthesis in place relative to the anatomical site;

disengaging said prosthesis from said catheter by pulling a distal end of said prosthesis; and

withdrawing said catheter from the body channel.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the prosthesis is a stentless cardiac valve.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises a step of coupling said prosthesis into tissue of the body channel.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said distal portion of the prosthesis is maintained in place at a position relative to the anatomical site by an elongated delivery member located within a lumen of the catheter, said elongated delivery member having an engaging element at a distal end of said elongated delivery member, wherein the engaging element engages and disengages the distal portion of said prosthesis.

5. A method for delivering a hollow tubular stentless longitudinally collapsible bioprosthesis in a body channel, the method comprising percutaneously introducing a catheter into the body channel, wherein the catheter contains said bioprosthesis at a retracted state;

and disengaging said bioprosthesis out of a distal opening of the catheter by pulling at a distal end of said bioprosthesis.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said pulling mechanism further comprises an engaging element coupling to a distal portion of the bioprosthesis.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the method further comprises separating the bioprosthesis from said engaging element.