Mitral Spacer

• US 20100324668A1
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiosolutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cardiosolutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Wilson, Jonathan E., Maurer, Christopher W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,486,136 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/2.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0441 the shaft being a rigid coil or spiral
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/048 for reducing heart wall tension, e.g. sutures with a pad on each extremity
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/246 Devices for obstructing a leak through a native valve in a closed condition

Abstract

A heart valve implant may include a shaft and an anchor configured to be coupled to an end of the shaft. A spacer may be coupled to a portion of the shaft and comprise a plurality of individual segments including a first and at least a second individual segment. The first segment may be coupled to the shaft. The second segment may be coupled to at least a portion of an exterior surface of the first segment and may have at least one cross-section dimension which is greater than an internal cross-sectional dimension of a delivery lumen. Additional segments may be coupled to an inner, adjacent segment. The segments may include a collapsible body portion to facilitate percutaneously delivery through a lumen. The segments may define an outer surface of the spacer configured to interact with at least a portion of at least one cusp of a heart valve to at least partially restrict a flow of blood through the heart valve in a closed position.

Claims

1. A heart valve implant comprising:

a shaft extending generally along a longitudinal axis of said heart valve implant;

a spacer configured to interact with at least a portion of at least one cusp of a patient'"'"'s heart valve to at least partially restrict a flow of blood through said heart valve in a closed position, said spacer comprising at least one segment configured to be coupled to said shaft while disposed within a patient'"'"'s heart; and

at least one anchor configured to be coupled to a first end region of said shaft.

2. A heart valve implant according to claim 1, further comprising a fastener configured to couple said shaft with said at least one segment.

3. A heart valve implant according to claim 2, wherein said fastener includes at least one detent.

4. A heart valve implant according to claim 3, wherein said at least one detent comprises a resilient detent configured to resiliently deform and at least partially recover.

5. A heart valve implant according to claim 4, wherein said at least one detent comprises a spring-biased detent.

6. A heart valve implant according to claim 4, wherein said at least one detent comprises a substantially solid detent.

7. A heart valve implant according to claim 1, wherein said spacer comprises a plurality of individual segments including at least a first segment configured to be coupled to said shaft and at least a second segment configured to be coupled to at least a portion of an outer surface of said first segment.

8. A heart valve implant according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said plurality of individual segments includes a fastener for coupling with an adjacent segment.

9. A heart valve implant according to claim 1, wherein said at least one segment comprises an expandable portion.

10. A heart valve implant according to claim 9, wherein said expandable portion comprises an inflatable bladder.

11. A heart valve implant according to claim 9, wherein said expandable portion comprises a shape memory material configured to recoverably deform.

12. A heart valve implant according to claim 8, wherein said fastener includes at least one detent configured to engage with said adjacent segment.

13. A method of introducing a heart valve implant with respect to a heart valve comprising:

percutaneously securing an anchor to tissue within a patient'"'"'s heart;

percutaneously coupling a spacer to a shaft and said anchor while disposed within said patient'"'"'s heart.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising

percutaneously and serially delivering a first and at least a second individual segment to said patient'"'"'s heart;

coupling said first segment to said shaft; and

coupling said second segment to at least a portion of an outer surface of said first segment to define said spacer.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein percutaneously delivering said shaft and said first and said second individual segments comprises inserting said said first and said second individual segments and said shaft into a lumen of a catheter and delivering said first and said second individual segments and said shaft to said left ventricle via said catheter.

16. A method according to claim 13, further comprising reducing a volume of said spacer prior to being disposed within said heart.

17. A method according to claim 13, further comprising expanding said spacer after percutaneous delivery to said heart.

18. A heart valve implant system comprising:

a catheter including a lumen; and

a heart valve implant comprising;

a shaft extending generally along a longitudinal axis of said heart valve implant;

a spacer configured to interact with at least a portion of at least one cusp of a patient'"'"'s heart valve to at least partially restrict a flow of blood through said heart valve in a closed position, said spacer comprising at least one segment configured to be coupled to said shaft while disposed within a patient'"'"'s heart; and

at least one anchor configured to be coupled to a first end region of said shaft.

19. A heart valve implant system according to claim 18, wherein said heart valve implant further comprises a fastener configured to couple said shaft with said at least one segment.

20. A heart valve implant system according to claim 19, wherein said fastener includes at least one detent.