Prosthetic heart valve holder apparatus

摘要

Apparatus for use with a prosthetic heart valve includes a holder, to which the heart valve is releasably attached, and an elongated handle. The handle can be connected to the holder simply by pushing a distal end of the handle straight into a recess in the holder. After this has been done, the holder preferably releasable latches onto the handle, and the handle can also be rotated about its longitudinal axis to transmit torque to the holder (e.g., a rotatable portion of the holder). Rotation of such a rotatable portion of the holder can be used to deflect portions of the valve radially inward. This operation of a rotatable portion of the holder is preferably one-way-only. The handle can be released from the holder at any time, and it can similarly be reconnected to the holder at any time.

主权项

1. Apparatus for use in conjunction with a prosthetic heart valve comprising:
a holder to which the heart valve is releasably attached, the holder comprising a main body portion having a recess and a rotatable portion positioned in the recess in an assembled condition, the recess having a central axis and a sidewall extending around the central axis, the rotatable portion having a sidewall extending around the central axis in the assembled condition, the sidewall of the rotatable portion and the sidewall of the recess each defining a confronting sidewall in the assembled condition, the confronting sidewalls including a ratchet assembly with a plurality of ratchet members on one of the confronting sidewalls and a pawl on another of the confronting sidewalls, the pawl interacting with the ratchet members to permit rotation of the rotatable member in a first direction relative to the main body portion and to prevent rotation of the rotatable member in a second direction opposite the first direction relative to the main body portion, each of the confronting sidewalls including a stop surface, the stop surfaces permitting rotation of the rotatable portion in the first direction relative to the main body portion until the stop surface of the one confronting sidewall engages the stop surface of the another confronting sidewall to limit rotation of the rotatable member relative to the main body portion; and an elongated handle having a distal end portion, the holder having a receptacle portion that is adapted to removably receive the distal end portion by relative non-rotational motion of the holder and handle along an axis along which the handle is elongated, wherein while the handle is received in the holder:
the handle is rotationally and translationally fixed relative to the rotatable portion;the main body portion and the rotatable portion have a first condition in which the rotatable portion is rotatable relative to the main body portion upon rotation of the handle in the first direction, but the rotatable portion is fixed relative to the main body portion upon rotation of the handle in the second direction; andthe main body portion and the rotatable portion have a second condition in which the main body portion and the rotatable portion are fixed relative to one another, such that rotation of the handle in the first direction rotates the main body portion and the rotatable portion in the first direction, and rotation of the handle in the second direction rotates the main body portion and the rotatable portion in the second direction.