Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090254177 | Method and Apparatuses for Deploying Minimally-Invasive Heart Valves - A system for delivering and deploying a self-expandable heart valve to a site of implantation such as the aortic annulus includes a deployment mechanism that engages the valve and regulates the rate of expansion of both the proximal and distal ends thereof. The heart valve may be a rolled-type valve and the deployment mechanism may include a plurality of distal fingers and a plurality of proximal fingers that engage the outer layer of the head valve. Controlled radial movement of the fingers regulates the unwinding of the rolled heart valve. The fingers may be removed prior to inflation of a balloon to fully expand the valve, or the fingers may be repositioned to the inside of the valve for this purpose. The deployment mechanism may include an umbrella structure that forces the rolled valve outward into its fully expanded configuration. Alternatively, a gear shaft that engages one or more gear tracks on the valve may be utilized to regulate expansion of the valve. A stabilization balloon may be used to axially and radially locate the deployment mechanism relative to the site of implantation. Methods of operation of the delivery and deployment mechanism include regulating the rate of self-expansion of the valve and forcing the valve outward into its fully expanded configuration utilizing the same or different means. | 10-08-2009 |
20110004287 | Bifurcated Stent and Delivery System - Systems for delivering a bifurcated stent to a bifurcation site comprise catheters and/or bifurcated stents delivered therefrom. | 01-06-2011 |
20110137409 | PROSTHETIC HEART VALVE HAVING FLARED OUTFLOW SECTION - Expandable, percutaneously deployable, prosthetic heart valves and systems for minimally invasive replacement of damaged or diseased native aortic valves comprise an expandable, tubular stent body and a unidirectional valve assembly. Embodiments of the stent body comprise an annulus anchoring section, a sinus section, and an outflow section, with the outflow section flared outward from the sinus section in an expanded configuration. Embodiments of the stent body are self-expanding, comprising, for example nitinol. The valve assembly disposed within the sinus section of the stent body and sutured thereto. Embodiments of the valve assembly comprise three leaflets, each leaflet comprising a curved outer edge sutured to the sinus section of the stent body, and a coapting free edge. Embodiments of the valve leaflets comprise pericardium, for example, porcine pericardium. Embodiments of the prosthetic heart valve have a contracted configuration dimensioned for percutaneous delivery thereof. | 06-09-2011 |
20120179243 | METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR DEPLOYING MINIMALLY-INVASIVE HEART VALVES - A method for replacing native valve function of a diseased aortic valve in a patient is provided. The method comprises: (a) guiding a catheter system having a balloon through the vasculature of the patient; (b) guiding an artificial heart valve assembly through the vasculature of the patient; (c) while the catheter system is in the patient's vasculature, positioning the artificial heart valve assembly about the balloon of the catheter system; (d) delivering the artificial heart valve assembly to the region of the diseased aortic valve; (e) while the patient's heart is beating, expanding the artificial heart valve assembly in the region of the diseased aortic valve; and (f) withdrawing the catheter system from the patient's vasculature. | 07-12-2012 |
20130023983 | METHOD FOR TREATING AN AORTIC VALVE - Expandable, percutaneously deployable, prosthetic heart valves and systems for minimally invasive replacement of damaged or diseased native aortic valves comprise an expandable, tubular stent body and a unidirectional valve assembly. Embodiments of the stent body comprise an annulus anchoring section, a sinus section, and an outflow section, with the outflow section flared outwardly from the sinus section in an expanded configuration. Embodiments of the stent body are self-expanding, comprising, for example nitinol. The valve assembly disposed within the sinus section of the stent body and sutured thereto. Embodiments of the valve assembly comprise three leaflets, each leaflet comprising a curved outer edge sutured to the sinus section of the stent body, and a coapting free edge. Embodiments of the valve leaflets comprise pericardium, for example, porcine pericardium. Embodiments of the prosthetic heart valve have a contracted configuration dimensioned for percutaneous delivery thereof. | 01-24-2013 |
20140194977 | METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR DEPLOYING MINIMALLY-INVASIVE HEART VALVES - Methods and systems for delivering and deploying a prosthetic heart valve include a deployment mechanism coupled to the prosthetic heart valve, the deployment mechanism comprising a longitudinal shaft that when rotated in a first direction, expands the prosthetic heart valve from a contracted state to an expanded state, and optionally, when rotated in a second direction opposite the first direction, re-contracts the prosthetic valve from the expanded state. Embodiments of the deployment mechanism comprise a pinion gear that engages a gear track on the prosthetic heart valve. | 07-10-2014 |
20140243958 | METHOD FOR TREATING AN AORTIC VALVE - A method for replacing a native heart valve with a prosthetic heart valve comprises moving a first portion of a prosthetic heart valve towards a second portion of the prosthetic heart valve along a plurality of guide wires, and lock the first portion to the second portion in a final, radially expanded configuration. The prosthetic heart valve is radially contractible and expandable, and in some embodiments, is self-expanding. Embodiments of the method are minimally invasive. | 08-28-2014 |
20150250588 | METHODS FOR DEPLOYING SELF-EXPANDING HEART VALVES - A system for delivering and deploying a self-expandable heart valve to a site of implantation such as the aortic annulus includes a deployment mechanism that engages the valve and regulates the rate of expansion of both the proximal and distal ends thereof. The heart valve may be a rolled-type valve and the deployment mechanism may include a plurality of distal fingers and a plurality of proximal fingers that engage the outer layer of the heart valve. Controlled radial movement of the fingers regulates the unwinding of the rolled heart valve. The fingers may be removed prior to inflation of a balloon to fully expand the valve, or the fingers may be repositioned to the inside of the valve for this purpose. The deployment mechanism may include an umbrella structure that forces the rolled valve outward into its fully expanded configuration. Alternatively, a gear shaft that engages one or more gear tracks on the valve may be utilized to regulate expansion of the valve. A stabilization balloon may be used to axially and radially locate the deployment mechanism relative to the site of implantation. Methods of operation of the delivery and deployment mechanism include regulating the rate of self-expansion of the valve and forcing the valve outward into its fully expanded configuration utilizing the same or different means. | 09-10-2015 |