DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ASSESSING THE GEOMETRY OF A HEART VALVE

摘要

A sizer for assessing the geometry of a heart valve annulus including a handle portion (10) for holding the sizer and a sizing portion (12). The sizing portion (12) is preferably in the shape of an arch having an apex (14) and two legs (16 and 18), each of which has a base (20 and 22) adjoining the handle portion. The legs of the arched sizing portion are separated from each other by a predetermined distance that corresponds to the expected separation of commissures of a normal heart valve annulus. The height of the arch (measured from the base of each leg to the apex) corresponds to a predetermined leaflet height that approximates the expected height of a leaflet of a normal heart valve . For aortic valve reconstruction, the instrument is inserted into the opened aortic root following removal of the native valve tissue and is used to assess the distance between the commissures, the leaflet height and the symmetry of the commissures of the exposed valve annulus.