Aortic valve holder with stent protection and/or ability to decrease valve profile

摘要

A valve holder is connectable to a prosthetic valve including a stent having a plurality of commissure posts. The valve includes a base, a plurality of legs extending from the base, and one of several mechanisms for deflecting the plurality of commissure posts radially inward so as to temporarily decrease the overall size of the prosthetic valve.

主权项

1. A prosthetic valve implantation system comprising:
a prosthetic valve including a stent having a plurality of commissure posts, and a valve assembly mounted within the stent; and a holder adapted for connection to the prosthetic valve in an assembled condition, the holder including:
a base having an axis extending in an axial direction;a plurality of legs each extending in a direction from a first end connected to the base toward a free end, the direction including a component in the axial direction;a plurality of arcuate fingers each having a concave surface, a convex surface, a first end pivotably coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of legs, and a free end, each finger having a first position in which the free end is spaced from the axis of the base a first distance and a second position in which the free end is spaced from the axis of the base a second distance less than the first distance, wherein the concave surface is adapted to contact one of the plurality of commissure posts as the finger transitions from the first position to the second position when the holder is in the assembled condition; anda suture extending along the convex surface of the finger and having a relaxed state and a tensioned state, wherein the suture transitioning from the relaxed state to the tensioned state is configured to cause the finger to transition from the first position to the second position.