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Collapsible/expandable prosthetic heart valve delivery system and methods

  • US 9,119,715 B2
  • Filed: 10/29/2009
  • Issued: 09/01/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2008
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A system for delivering and positioning a medical implant, comprising:

  • an expandable member at least partially positioned inside a medical implant and operable to radially expand at least a portion of the medical implant to an expanded condition;

    a first grasping mechanism having a first movable arm adapted to grasp a first portion of the medical implant;

    a second grasping mechanism having a second movable arm adapted to grasp a second portion of the medical implant, the first movable arm and the second movable arm being positioned on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis and on opposite sides of the expandable member so that the medical implant is sandwiched between the first and second movable arms and the expandable member;

    the first and second movable arms each having a free end, at least one of the first and second movable arms including a jaw section on the free end thereof, the jaw section having an outer jaw member and an inner jaw member, the outer and inner jaw members being adapted to move between an open position in which the outer and inner jaw members are spaced apart from one another, and a closed position in which the outer and inner jaw members are relatively close to one another; and

    a displacement mechanism operatively coupled to the first and second grasping mechanisms and configured to apply a force to the first grasping mechanism and the second grasping mechanism in directions orthogonal to the longitudinal axis to move the first movable arm and the second movable arm from an outer position in which the first and second movable arms are relatively distant to one another to an inner position in which the first and second movable arms are relatively close to one another;

    wherein movement of the first and second movable arms from the outer position to the inner position at least partially collapses the medical implant from the expanded condition.

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