Apparatus for treating a mitral valve

• US 9,084,676 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2014
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
• Original Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
• Inventors: Chau, Mark, Patterson, Marlowe E., Yi, Seung-Beom, Geist, Stephen C., Oba, Travis
• Primary Examiner(s): Stewart, Jason-Dennis
• Application Number:
  US14/255,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20140228946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/24 Heart valves ; Vascular valves, e.g. venous valves; Heart implants, e.g. passive devices for improving the function of the native valve or the heart muscle; Transmyocardial revascularisation [TMR] devices; Valves implantable in the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2409 Support rings therefor, e.g. for connecting valves to tissue annuloplasty rings A61F2/2442
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2412 with soft flexible valve members, e.g. tissue valves shaped like natural valves check valves with flexible valve members in general F16K15/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2418 Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2427 Devices for manipulating or deploying heart valves during implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2445 Annuloplasty rings in direct contact with the valve annulus
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/246 Devices for obstructing a leak through a native valve in a closed condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0014 using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0008 Fixation appliances for connecting prostheses to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0069 cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/006 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0063 Nested prosthetic parts

Abstract

Embodiments of an apparatus for treating a deficient mitral valve include an expandable spacer configured for placement between the native leaflets of the mitral valve, the spacer anchorable to a wall of the ventricle. Methods and apparatus for delivering and implanting the prosthetic are also described.

Claims

1. A method of delivering a replacement valve to a native mitral valve and securing the replacement valve relative to the native mitral valve annulus, the native mitral valve annulus supporting native leaflets, the method comprising:

delivering a replacement valve mounted on a delivery device to the native mitral valve annulus while the replacement valve is in a radially compacted state, the replacement valve comprising a radially expandable frame and a first plurality of anchors extending from the frame;

positioning the replacement valve so that tips of the first plurality of anchors are on a ventricular side of the native leaflets beyond a location where chordae tendineae connect to free ends of the native leaflets;

releasing at least a portion of the replacement valve from the delivery device to thereby expand the first plurality of anchors radially outwardly; and

engaging tips of the first plurality of anchors with tissue on a ventricular side of the native valve annulus with the first plurality of anchors extending between at least some of the chordae tendineae.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, with tips of the plurality of first anchors engaging tissue on the ventricular side of the native valve annulus, further releasing the replacement valve from the delivery device and expanding the frame to a radially expanded state.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein further releasing the replacement valve causes a second plurality of anchors extending from the frame to engage tissue on an atrial side of the native valve annulus.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein tips of the first plurality of anchors engage a ventricular side of the native mitral valve annulus.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein tips of the first plurality of anchors engage a ventricular side of the native mitral valve annulus and the native valve leaflets.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising, after releasing at least a portion of the replacement valve from the delivery device, moving the replacement valve toward the native mitral valve so that tips of the plurality of first anchors engage tissue on a ventricular side of the native mitral valve annulus.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein moving the replacement valve causes the first plurality of anchors to contain the native leaflets.