Cardiac anchor structures, methods, and systems for treatment of congestive heart failure and other conditions

• US 8,425,402 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2009
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bioventrix, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bioventrix, Inc.
• Inventors: Annest, Lon S., Argento, Claudio, Butler, William, Heflin, Ernest
• Primary Examiner(s): MATTHEWS, CHRISTINE HOPKINS
• Application Number:
  US12/506,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20100016655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 600/18, 600/37, 606/151, 606/158, 623/2.11
• US Class Current: 600/37
• 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 17/0401 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 17/0467 Instruments for cutting sutures surgical cutting instruments A61B17/32
• 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 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00469 for insertion of instruments, e.g. guide wire, optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00473 Distal part, e.g. tip or head A61B2017/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0404 Buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors for applying suture clamps, clips or locks A61B2017/0488
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0456 Surface features on the anchor, e.g. ribs increasing friction between the suture and the anchor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0464 for soft tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/048 for reducing heart wall tension, e.g. sutures with a pad on each extremity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0488 Instruments for applying suture clamps, clips or locks for applying suture anchors A61B2017/0409; for applying wound clamps A61B17/10; for applying ligaturing clamps or clips A61B17/128
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0496 for tensioning sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06052 Needle-suture combinations in which a suture is extending inside a hollow tubular needle, e.g. over the entire length of the needle hollow suture needles A61B2017/061
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06176 with protrusions, e.g. barbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/30 Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2487 Devices within the heart chamber, e.g. splints
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/04 in the body, e.g. expansible A61M25/10, A61M16/0488 take precedence

Abstract

Medical devices, systems, and methods reduce the distance between two points in tissue, often for treatment of congestive heart failure and often in a minimally invasive manner. An anchor is inserted along an insertion path through a first wall of the heart. An arm of the anchor is deployed and rotationally positioned according to a desired alignment. Application of tension to the anchor may draw the first and second walls of the heart into contact along a desired contour so as to effect a desired change in the geometry of the heart. Additional anchors may be inserted and aligned with the first anchor to close off a portion of a ventricle such that the ventricle is geometrically remodeled and disease progression is reversed, halted, and/or slowed.

Claims

1. A method for treating a heart of a patient, the heart having a chamber bordered by a plurality of walls, the method comprising:

inserting an introducer catheter and dilator system distally along an insertion path through a first wall of the heart;

expanding an expandable member of the dilator system within the first wall;

advancing the expanded expandable member of the dilator system distally through the first wall;

expanding an expandable member of the introducer catheter distally of the first wall and engaging the expandable member of the introducer catheter proximally against the first wall;

inserting an anchor distally of the first wall through a lumen of the introducer catheter and deploying the anchor laterally;

contracting the expandable member of the introducer catheter and withdrawing the introducer catheter proximally from the first wall; and

applying tension along the insertion path to the anchor so as to urge the first wall proximally against a second wall.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the expandable member of the introducer catheter comprises a balloon.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the expandable member of the dilator system comprises a balloon.