Container and method for storing and delivering minimally-invasive heart valves
First Claim
1. A storage container for an expandable prosthetic heart valve having both contracted and expanded configurations, comprising:
- a container sized to receive the heart valve in its expanded configuration;
a mechanism incorporated into the container and engaging the heart valve operable to convert the heart valve from its expanded configuration to its contracted configuration.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Storage containers for expandable heart valves for minimally invasive valve replacement surgeries are disclosed. The containers permit an expandable valve to be stored in its expanded configuration and then converted to its contracted configuration while still in the container. A mechanism incorporated into the container facilitates the conversion. For example, the container may have a base and a lid, and a crank manipulable from outside. The lid actuates a key within the container that engages the valve to perform the contraction. If the valve is a spirally wound type of expandable valve, the key may be attached to an inner side edge and rotated to wind the valve into a tight spiral. A drain in the container may facilitate removal of a preservative solution so that the valve can be seen during the contraction process, or so that the valve can be rinsed while still within the container.
172 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A storage container for an expandable prosthetic heart valve having both contracted and expanded configurations, comprising:
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a container sized to receive the heart valve in its expanded configuration;
a mechanism incorporated into the container and engaging the heart valve operable to convert the heart valve from its expanded configuration to its contracted configuration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for storing and delivering an expandable prosthetic heart valve having both contracted and expanded configurations, comprising:
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a prosthetic heart valve comprising a generally sheet-like stent body that is spirally-wound about an axis in the contracted configuration and is substantially unwound and at least partly forms a tube centered about the axis in its expanded configuration, the stent body defining a pair of opposed side edges that generally mate in the expanded configuration;
a plurality of flexible, biocompatible membranes incorporated into the stent body to form heart valve leaflets in the expanded configuration;
a container sized to receive the heart valve in its expanded configuration; and
a mechanism incorporated into the container for winding the heart valve within the container into its contracted configuration. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of storing and delivering an expandable prosthetic heart valve having both contracted and expanded configurations, the method comprising:
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providing a prosthetic heart valve having a contracted configuration sized to be delivered to a site of implantation through a tube and an expanded configuration sized to engage a heart valve annulus;
storing the heart valve in a container in its expanded configuration;
converting the heart valve from its expanded configuration to its contracted configuration while in the container. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification