Suture and method for repairing a heart

Abstract

Devices and methods for treating or repairing a heart are disclosed. The device includes at least one anchor configured to engage tissue of a heart and a thread or other elongate member adapted to be coupled to the anchor and secured to heart tissue. The anchor may be attached to papillary muscle tissue and an elongate member may be attached to a valve leaflet for creating artificial chordae tendinae, thereby treating mitral valve prolapse. In another application, multiple anchors may be deployed within a ventricle and the threads pulled together for reducing dilation of a ventricle. A locking mechanism is provided for capturing and locking the threads together, thereby maintaining the ventricle in the reshaped condition.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60 / 889,921, filed on Feb. 14, 2007 and entitled “Suture and Method for Repairing a Heart,” the contents of which are expressly incorporated herein in their entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates generally to medical devices, and more particularly, to implantable medical devices for treating diseases, disorders, and malformations of a heartBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]The function of the heart may be seriously impaired if any of the heart valves is not functioning properly. The heart valves may lose their ability to close properly due to disease or defects, such as (for example) by a mitral or tricuspid valve leaflet becoming partially or completely detached from a papillary muscle (e.g., by ruptured chordae tendinae) thereby resulting in prolapsing of the leaflet. The inability of the heart valve to close will cause a leak backwards, com...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]Embodiments of the present invention provide devices and methods for securely attaching a thread to tissue without the need for conventional suturing, thereby eliminating the need for surgical instruments such as needle holders and forceps. Some embodiments are adapted f...

Problems solved by technology

The function of the heart may be seriously impaired if any of the heart valves is not functioning properly.

The heart valves may lose their ability to close properly due to disease or defects, such as (for example) by a mitral or tricuspid valve leaflet becoming partially or completely detached from a papillary muscle (e.g., by ruptured chordae tendinae) thereby resulting in prolapsing of the leaflet.

The inability of the heart valve to close will cause a leak backwards, commonly referred to as regurgitation, through the valve.

On the left side of the heart, regurgitation through the mitral valve may seriously impair the function of the heart 1 since a portion of the heart stroke volume of blood will return from the left ventricle to the left atrium instead of passing through the aortic valve to the organs of the body.

Accordingly, the dama...

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