Method and apparatus for implanting an aortic valve prosthesis

• US 20060271173A1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Reynolds M. Delgado III
• Original Assignee: Reynolds M. Delgado III
• Inventors: Kar, Biswajit, Delgado, Reynolds M. III
• Granted Patent: US 7,833,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/2.110
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2427 Devices for manipulating or deploying heart valves during implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2433 using balloon catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3659 Cannulae pertaining to extracorporeal circulation

Abstract

A method and apparatus for percutaneously implanting an aortic valve prosthesis includes a pump for pumping oxygenated blood from the left atrium into the descending aorta, during a period of time in which an aortic valve prosthesis is being implanted within a diseased aortic valve. First and second catheters are associated with the pump, and a third catheter has an end which is adapted for insertion into the ascending aorta, and the third catheter has an aortic valve prosthesis associated with another end of the third catheter.

Claims

1. A method for percutaneously implanting an aortic valve prosthesis in a heart having a septum, left and right atriums, left and right ventricles, a diseased aortic valve, and descending and ascending aortas associated with the heart, comprising the steps of:

percutaneously delivering a portion of a first catheter into the left atrium of the heart, the first catheter being associated with a pump;

percutaneously delivering a second catheter into a portion of the descending aorta, the second catheter being associated with the pump;

percutaneously delivering a third catheter into the ascending aorta, the third catheter having an aortic valve prosthesis associated with the third catheter;

disposing the aortic valve prosthesis within the diseased aortic valve and implanting the aortic valve prosthesis within the diseased aortic valve; and

pumping oxygenated blood from the left atrium into the descending aorta, during a period of time while the aortic valve prosthesis is being implanted within the diseased aortic valve.

2. The method of claim 1, including the steps of:

removing the first catheter from the left atrium;

removing the second catheter from the descending aorta; and

removing the third catheter from the ascending aorta.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the period of time while the oxygenated blood is being pumped begins shortly before the aortic valve prosthesis is being implanted and ends after the aortic valve prosthesis has been implanted.

4. The method of claim 1, including the steps of pumping the oxygenated blood through the first catheter into the pump, and then pumping the oxygenated blood through the second catheter.

5. The method of claim 1, including the step of utilizing an external pump as the pump.

6. The method of claim 4, including the step of utilizing an external pump as the pump.

7. The method of claim 1, including the steps of utilizing an aortic valve prosthesis which includes a stent and mounting the stent on the third catheter.

8. The method of claim 7, including the step of utilizing a self-expanding stent as the stent.

9. The method of claim 7, including the steps of:

utilizing a balloon expandable stent as the stent;

utilizing a dilatation catheter as the third catheter; and

expanding the stent with the dilatation catheter.

10. The method of claim 1, including the steps of:

delivering the first catheter through a femoral artery into the right atrium; and

then delivering a portion of the catheter through the septum of the heart into the right atrium.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pump is an external pump.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first end of the first catheter is adapted to pierce the septum between the right and left atriums to enter the left atrium.

11. An apparatus for percutaneously repairing a diseased aortic valve in a heart having a septum, left and right atriums, left and right ventricles, and descending and ascending aortas associated with the heart, comprising:

a pump;

a first catheter, having first and second ends, the first end adapted for insertion into the left atrium of the heart, the second end of the first catheter being associated with the pump;

a second catheter having first and second ends, the first end adapted to be inserted into a portion of the descending aorta, the second end of the second catheter being associated with the pump; and

a third catheter having first and second ends, the first end adapted for insertion into the ascending aorta, the third catheter having an aortic valve prosthesis associated with the second end of the third catheter, whereby upon disposing the aortic valve prosthesis within the diseased aortic valve and implanting the aortic valve prosthesis within the diseased aortic valve, oxygenated blood from the left atrium may be pumped into the descending aorta, during a period of time while the aortic valve prosthesis is being implanted within the diseased aortic valve.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the aortic valve prosthesis includes a stent, and the stent is mounted on the first end of the third catheter.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the stent is a self-expanding stent.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the stent is a balloon expandable stent;

and the third catheter is a dilatation catheter.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the pump is an external centrifugal pump.