Translumenal apparatus, system, and method

• US 7,799,038 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2006
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Richardson, Leonard B., Sogard, David J., Harrison, Kent D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; (Jackie) Tan-Uyen T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dornbusch; Dianne
• Application Number:
  US11/337,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20070173930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• Field of Search: 606/139, 606/144, 606/148, 606/113, 623/2.11, 623/2.37, 604/264, 604/523, 604/525, 600/104
• US Class Current: 606/139
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0482 Needle or suture guides guides for drills, pins or wire A61B17/17; for puncturing needles A61B17/3403
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0472 Multiple-needled, e.g. double-needled, instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06057 Double-armed sutures, i.e. sutures having a needle attached to each end
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2445 Annuloplasty rings in direct contact with the valve annulus
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2457 Chordae tendineae prostheses

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and systems for altering the configuration of a heart valve. Methods, apparatus, and systems include the use of a cord delivered into the heart by a delivery catheter that can be manipulated by a receiving catheter so as to improve the heart valve function.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiving catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, and a predetermined bend there between that positions the distal end adjacent a fibrous ring surrounding a heart valve;

a first lumen and a second lumen extending from the distal end towards the proximal end of the receiving catheter;

a first capture device positioned at least partially within the first lumen, wherein the first capture device extends from the receiving catheter and captures a first piercing member and a first portion of a cord protruding from the fibrous ring and houses the captured first piercing member and the first portion of the cord in the first lumen;

a second capture device positioned at least partially within the second lumen, wherein the second capture device extends from the receiving catheter and captures a second piercing member and a second portion of the cord protruding from the fibrous ring and houses the captured second piercing member and the second portion of the cord in the second lumen;

a coupling device directly connected to the distal end of the receiving catheter and having a first opening aligned with the first lumen and a second opening aligned with the second lumen such that the first capture device passes through the first opening and the second capture device passes through the second opening, wherein the coupling device connects to the first and second portions of the cord and forms a loop including the coupling device, and wherein the coupling device and loop are separable from the distal end of the receiving catheter, and wherein a portion of the coupling device proximal to the distal end of the receiving catheter is constructed of a sacrificial material, softer than a material used to construct a remainder of the coupling device; and

a release member associated with the receiving catheter and the coupling device, wherein the release member is configured to cut the cord extending beyond the loop and to cut through the sacrificial material to separate the coupling device and the loop from the receiving catheter.

2. A medical system, comprising:

a delivery catheter having;

a first lumen and a second lumen extending from a distal end towards a proximal end of the delivery catheter;

a first piercing member and a second piercing member, the first piercing member releasably positioned at least partially within the first lumen, and the second piercing member releasably positioned at least partially within the second lumen; and

a cord directly coupled to the first piercing member and the second piercing member, and releasably positioned within the delivery catheter such that the first piercing member, the second piercing member and the cord egress from the distal end of the delivery catheter and separate and disengage from the distal end of delivery catheter, wherein a length of the cord in a non-strained state is;

sufficient to form a loop around the heart valve; and

greater than a length sufficient to constrain the heart valve in a configuration where the cord forms the loop around the heart valve; and

a receiving catheter having;

a third lumen and a fourth lumen extending from a distal end towards a proximal end of the receiving catheter;

a capture device positioned at least partially within at least one of the third or fourth lumens, wherein the capture device extends from the receiving catheter and captures a portion of the first piercing member and the second piercing member and houses the captured portion of the first piercing member in the third lumen and the second piercing member in the fourth lumen; and

a coupling device connected to the distal end of the receiving catheter and having an opening aligned with at least one of the third and fourth lumens such that the capture device passes through the opening, wherein the coupling device connects a first and second portion of the cord and forms the loop including the coupling device, and wherein the coupling device and the loop separate from the distal end of the receiving catheter.

3. The system of claim 2, further including a first deployment member extending through the first lumen of the delivery catheter to contact the first piercing member.

4. The system of claim 3, further including a second deployment member extending through the second lumen of the delivery catheter to contact the second piercing member, wherein the first and second deployment members can move to extend the first and second piercing members from the first and second lumen of the delivery catheter.

5. The system of claim 2, further including a fifth lumen extending from the proximal end toward the distal end of the delivery catheter, the fifth lumen having a surface defining an opening through a wall of the delivery catheter between the predetermined bend and the proximal end of the delivery catheter.

6. The system of claim 5, further including an adjustment member extending from the fifth lumen and coupled to the delivery catheter at a point between a predetermined bend in the delivery catheter and the distal end of the delivery catheter.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the predetermined bend flexes under tension applied through the adjustment member.