Method of treating diseased valve

• US 20040127979A1
• Filed: 08/28/2003
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HLT, Inc. (Bracco SPA)
• Original Assignee: Heart Leaflet Technologies, Inc. (Bracco SPA)
• Inventors: Pokorney, James L., Wilson, Robert Foster, Wilson, Scott Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,217,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/2.1
• 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 2/2463 Implants forming part of the valve leaflets
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2466 Delivery devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/904 Heart

Abstract

A device and method for improving flow through a native blood vessel valve, such as the aortic valve, are provided. The present invention allows a miniature valve to be implanted into affected leaflets percutaneously, obviating the need for coronary bypass surgery. The method includes the cutting of small holes, on the order of 4 mm, in the leaflets of a targeted valve, thereby allowing blood to flow through the newly formed holes. The holes are used as attachment sites for the miniature valves of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of increasing fluid flow through a blood vessel valve comprising creating an opening through at least one leaflet of the valve through which fluid may flow.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising placing a valve implant in operational proximity to the opening, the valve implant having a mechanism capable of allowing flow through the implant in a desired direction and blocking flow through the implant in an opposite direction.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein placing a valve implant in operational proximity to the opening comprises percutaneously placing a valve implant in operational proximity to the opening.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein percutaneously placing a valve implant in operational proximity to the opening comprises urging the valve implant through at least one leaflet of the valve, thereby creating the opening, and placing the valve implant in operational proximity to the opening, simultaneously.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein percutaneously placing a valve implant in operational proximity to the opening comprises screwing the valve implant into at least one leaflet of the valve thereby creating the opening, and placing the valve implant in operational proximity to the opening, simultaneously.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein percutaneously placing a valve implant in operational proximity to the opening comprises cutting a hole through at least one leaflet of the valve and then placing the valve implant into the hole and attaching the at least one valve implant to the at least one leaflet.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising expanding the hole after attaching the valve implant to the at least one leaflet.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein expanding the valve implant comprises inflating a balloon inside the valve implant until the hole expands to a predetermined diameter.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein percutaneously placing a valve implant in operational proximity to the opening comprises cutting a hole through at least one leaflet of the valve and then placing the valve implant over the hole and attaching the valve implant to the at least one leaflet.

10. A method of treating a diseased valve comprising:

diagnosing a diseased state of a valve in a patient;

delivering a prosthetic valve to said diseased valve;

deploying said prosthetic valve in native tissue of said diseased valve; and

securing said prosthetic valve in said tissue.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the deploying of said prosthetic valve includes deploying the prosthetic valve in a leaflet of said diseased valve.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the deploying of said prosthetic valve includes deploying the prosthetic valve across a plurality of leaflets of said diseased valve.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein the delivering of the prosthetic valve is performed percutaneously.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein the prosthetic valve is in a compressed stated during the delivering of said prosthetic valve to said diseased valve.

15. A method according to claim 10, including placing a second prosthetic valve in said native tissue following the securing of said prosthetic valve in said tissue.

16. A method of improving fluid flow through a diseased valve in a body lumen comprising:

determining that a flow through said diseased valve is deficient;

excising a portion of valve tissue traversing said lumen;

improving flow through said diseased valve by inserting an implant where said portion of said valve tissue has been excised.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the improving of flow comprises inserting a valve implant.

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein the excising and the improving is performed percutaneously.

19. A method according to claim 16, wherein the excising includes excising a portion of a leaflet of said valve.

20. A method according to claim 16, wherein the excising and improving is performed a second time for a second implant.