METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR DEPLOYING MINIMALLY-INVASIVE HEART VALVES

摘要

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.

主权项

1. A method for deploying a prosthetic aortic heart valve in a patient in need thereof, the method comprising:
percutaneously advancing through a patient's vasculature a distal end portion of an elongate delivery system, a prosthetic aortic heart valve in a contracted configuration disposed on the distal end portion, the prosthetic valve comprising a radially contractible and expandable tubular stent and a plurality of leaflets secured to the stent, the stent coupled to a deployment mechanism disposed on the distal end portion, the deployment mechanism comprising a longitudinally extending shaft, the shaft rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof; positioning the prosthetic valve in an annulus of a heart valve; and rotating the shaft of the deployment mechanism in a first direction, thereby expanding the prosthetic valve to a final expanded configuration within the annulus of the heart valve.