Delayed memory device

Abstract

A delivery system for delivering a prosthetic heart valve to a native valve site within the human vasculature. The prosthetic valve is disposed on a balloon at the end of a balloon catheter. The balloon catheter passes through a delivery sleeve assembly and handle. A pull wire travels from the handle to a distal end of the delivery sleeve assembly. Actuation of the handle pulls on the pull wire, which causes openings in a slotted tube of the delivery sleeve assembly to close, thus causing the delivery sleeve assembly to bend. A stretchable cover is placed over the slotted tube for biasing the steerable catheter toward a straight position. Once advanced to the native valve site, the prosthetic valve is deployed by inflating the balloon.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] The present application is a divisional of co-pending, commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 141,348, filed on May 9, 2002, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to a medical device for providing a change of shape in a part of the body of an organism. The invention further relates to a device and a method for reshaping a body vessel, and a device and a method for restraining growth of a body organ of an organism. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] At present the treatment of mitral annulus dilatation and other mitral insufficiencies consists of either repair or mitral valve replacements. Both methods require open-heart surgery, by the use of total cardiopulmonary by-pass, aortic cross-clamping and cardioplegic arrest. To certain groups of patients, open-heart surgery is particularly hazardous and therefore a less invasive method for ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, a medical device for providing a change of shape in a part of the body of an organism comprises a first set of forces working towards a change of shape of the device, and a second set of forces working for preserving a present shape of the device and thereby counteracting said first set of forces. Said first and said second sets of forces are each inherent in a solid material of the device, and the forces of said second set of forces are arranged to decrease as a result of said solid material interacting chemically with said part of the body. As a result of the chemical interaction between the solid material of the device and the surrounding body, the forces of the second set of forces decrease and thus allow the device to provide said change of shape after a while, when parts of the device have become fixed in the body by a healing process. An advantage of the present invention, except that it provides a more secure fixation, is that there is no need for a stabilizing surgical instrument for keeping a present shape of the device during operation, since the shape is preserved by means of said second set of forces being inherent in the device itself.

[0019] Preferably said second set of forces is inherent in a decomposable material as mentioned above.

[0020] Said forces of said second set of forces are preferably arranged to decrease as a result of said solid material being decomposed by said part of the body.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, said second set of forces is inherent in a resorbable material as described above.

[0022] Preferably, said forces of said second set of forces are arranged to decrease as a result of said solid material being resorbed by said part of the body.

[0023] In another preferred embodiment, said first set of forces is inherent in an elastic material.

Problems solved by technology

However, the position fixation of the elongate stent in the coronary sinus by means of the hooks might be insufficient, so that the sudden release of the contraction of the elongate stent dislocates it.

This dislocation of the device might result in unsatisfactory reduction of the circumference of the mitral annulus.

Also with this method there is a risk of dislocation of the device, since the surgeon might accidentally move insufficiently fixed stent sections out of their proper position while manipulating them from outside the vein system.

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