Apparatus and methods for heart valve repair

• US 8,070,804 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2008
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hyde, Gregory Matthew, Juravic, Mark, Szobota, Stephanie A., Bisson, Brad David
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN VAN
• Application Number:
  US12/036,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20080177382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 606/151, 606/139, 606/12, 606/157, 606/158, 606/108, 606/142, 606/155, 606191-198, 623/2.37, 623/2.36, 623/1.12
• US Class Current: 623/2.36
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0401 Suture anchors, buttons or pledgets, i.e. means for attaching sutures to bone, cartilage or soft tissue; Instruments for applying or removing suture anchors A61B17/0642 takes precedence; fixation devices for tendons or ligaments A61F2/0811
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0487 Suture clamps, clips or locks, e.g. for replacing suture knots; Instruments for applying or removing suture clamps, clips or locks suture anchors A61B17/0401; wound clamps or clips A61B17/08; ligaturing clamps or clips A61B17/122
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0643 with separate closing member, e.g. for interlocking with staple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/08 Wound clamps or clips, i.e. not or only partly penetrating the tissue suture bridges A61B17/0466; Devices for bringing together the edges of a wound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/083 Clips, e.g. resilient
• 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: A61B 2017/06176 with protrusions, e.g. barbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/081 Tissue approximator A61B2017/1103, A61B17/8866 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2445 Annuloplasty rings in direct contact with the valve annulus
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2466 Delivery devices therefor

Abstract

Embodiments of a medical device and methods for percutaneously treating a heart valve. In one embodiment, the medical device has a first catheter body suitable for percutaneous advancement to a heart region, a support annulus disposed within the first catheter body, a steerable tendon disposed in the first catheter body, a deployment mechanism disposed in the first catheter body and configured to release a support annulus from the distal opening in the first catheter body, a second catheter body disposed in the first catheter body, the second catheter body defining a lumen therethrough and a clip disposed in the lumen of the second catheter body and a cord coupled to the clip.

Claims

1. An apparatus for repair of a heart valve comprising:

means for advancing a distal portion of a catheter to a mitral valve annulus percutaneously, the catheter comprising a support annulus disposed therein;

means for flexing said distal portion to an annular shape;

means for releasing the support annulus through an opening formed along a sidewall of the distal portion of the catheter to said mitral valve annulus; and

means for securing said support annulus to said mitral valve annulus,

wherein the means for securing comprises means for clipping said support annulus to said mitral valve annulus and the means for clipping comprises means for deploying an attachment device from said catheter to said support annulus.

2. An apparatus for repair of a heart valve comprising:

a first catheter body suitable for percutaneous advancement to a heart region, the first catheter body having a length dimension and an opening disposed longitudinally along the length dimension in a distal portion of the first catheter body;

a support annulus disposed within the first catheter body, the support annulus comprising a body portion having a length suitable for the support annulus to be laterally advanced through the opening in the first catheter body, the support annulus further comprising struts disposed thereon in a manner such that, when the support annulus is formed into an annular shape, the struts are disposed on an outer circumference of the support annulus;

a steerable tendon disposed in the first catheter body, wherein steering of the tendon modifies a longitudinal shape of the distal portion of the first catheter body;

a deployment mechanism disposed in the first catheter body and configured to release a support annulus from the distal opening in the first catheter body;

a second catheter body disposed in the first catheter body, the second catheter body defining a lumen therethrough; and

a clip disposed in the lumen of the second catheter body and a cord coupled to the clip.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the deployment mechanism comprises a rod and wherein the catheter body has a lumen comprising a dimension suitable for advancement of the support annulus by the rod from a proximal portion of the catheter body to the distal opening.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second catheter body is disposed in the lumen of the first catheter body.

5. An apparatus for repair of a heart valve comprising:

a first catheter body suitable for percutaneous advancement to a mitral valve, the first catheter body defining a lumen therethrough and having a length dimension and a slot disposed longitudinally along the length dimension in a distal portion of the first catheter body;

a steerable tendon disposed in the first catheter body, wherein steering of the tendon modifies a longitudinal shape of the distal portion of the catheter body;

a rod disposed in the catheter body and having a length dimension suitable to advance a support annulus through the lumen of the catheter body to the longitudinally disposed slot in the first catheter body;

a second catheter body disposed in the first catheter body and having a length suitable to be advanced from an opening in the first catheter body proximal to the longitudinally disposed slot;

an annular support loaded into the first catheter body, the annular support comprising a length dimension suitable to be advanced out of the longitudinally disposed slot and struts disposed thereon in a manner such that, when the support annulus is formed into an annular shape, the struts are disposed on an outer circumference of the support annulus; and

a clip disposed in the lumen of the second catheter body and a cord coupled to the clip.