Annuloplasty prosthesis with in vivo shape identification and related methods of use
First Claim
1. An annuloplasty prosthesis for repairing an atrial-ventricular valve having a valve annulus, the prosthesis comprising:
- a sheath;
an arcuate stiffening element within the sheath, the stiffening element being elongate, having a maximum width and extending between discrete first and second ends that are turned back toward one another and that are separated by a lateral spacing, wherein the stiffening element is included in a first segment of the prosthesis that defines a majority of an arcuate annular shape of the annuloplasty prosthesis; and
an imaging element disposed within and extending along at least a portion of the sheath that extends between the first and second ends of the stiffening element, the imaging element being an elongate strip, having a width and extending in the lateral spacing as the imaging element and the sheath extend directly between the first and second ends of the stiffening element without being curved, wherein the elongate strip as comprising the imaging element is greater in width than the maximum width of the stiffening element so that one extension of the elongate strip along the sheath is distinguishable from the stiffening element during an imaging process taken from a direction perpendicular to the arcuate annular shape of the annuloplasty prosthesis, and further wherein the imaging element is included in a second segment of the prosthesis, and the second segment is characterized as being more flexible than the first segment.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An annuloplasty prosthesis including a sheath, an arcuate stiffening element, and an imaging element. The arcuate stiffening element is disposed within the sheath and defines discrete, first and second ends separated by a lateral spacing. The imaging element is disposed within the sheath along the lateral spacing. With this configuration, following implant to the valve annulus, the imaging element provides a mechanism for non-invasively evaluating a shape of the valve annulus, for example, via radiographic, echogenic and/or other image enhancing visualization techniques. In some embodiments, the annuloplasty prosthesis provides a radiographic, echogenic and/or other image enhanced image of a near entirety of the valve annulus.
96 Citations
17 Claims
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1. An annuloplasty prosthesis for repairing an atrial-ventricular valve having a valve annulus, the prosthesis comprising:
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a sheath; an arcuate stiffening element within the sheath, the stiffening element being elongate, having a maximum width and extending between discrete first and second ends that are turned back toward one another and that are separated by a lateral spacing, wherein the stiffening element is included in a first segment of the prosthesis that defines a majority of an arcuate annular shape of the annuloplasty prosthesis; and an imaging element disposed within and extending along at least a portion of the sheath that extends between the first and second ends of the stiffening element, the imaging element being an elongate strip, having a width and extending in the lateral spacing as the imaging element and the sheath extend directly between the first and second ends of the stiffening element without being curved, wherein the elongate strip as comprising the imaging element is greater in width than the maximum width of the stiffening element so that one extension of the elongate strip along the sheath is distinguishable from the stiffening element during an imaging process taken from a direction perpendicular to the arcuate annular shape of the annuloplasty prosthesis, and further wherein the imaging element is included in a second segment of the prosthesis, and the second segment is characterized as being more flexible than the first segment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of implanting an annuloplasty prosthesis to an annulus of a heart valve of a patient, the method comprising:
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providing an annuloplasty prosthesis comprising; a sheath, an arcuate stiffening element within the sheath, the stiffening element being elongate, having a maximum width and extending between discrete first and second ends that are turned back toward one another and that are separated by a lateral spacing, wherein the stiffening element is included in a first segment of the prosthesis that defines a majority of an arcuate annular shape of the annuloplasty prosthesis, an imaging element disposed within and extending along at least a portion of the sheath that extends between the first and second ends of the stiffening element, the imaging element being an elongate strip, having a width and extending in the lateral spacing as the imaging element and the sheath extend directly between the first and second ends of the stiffening element without being curved, wherein the elongate strip as comprising the imaging element is greater in width than the maximum width of the stiffening element so that one extension of the elongate strip along the sheath is distinguishable from the stiffening element during an imaging process taken from a direction perpendicular to the arcuate annular shape of the annuloplasty prosthesis, and further wherein the imaging element is included in a second segment of the prosthesis, and the second segment is characterized as being more flexible than the first segment; implanting the annuloplasty prosthesis to the valve annulus; generating an image of the annuloplasty prosthesis including an image of the stiffening element and the wider imaging element by directing energy to the prosthesis and the valve annulus; and evaluating a status of the valve based upon the image generated. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification