60 results about "Mitral Valve Annulus" patented technology

A medical apparatus and method suitable for remodeling a mitral valve annulus adjacent to the coronary sinus. The apparatus comprises an elongate body having a proximal region and a distal region. Each of the proximal and distal regions is dimensioned to reside completely within the vascular system. The elongate body may be moved from a first configuration for transluminal delivery to at least a portion of the coronary sinus to a second configuration for remodeling the mitral valve annulus proximate the coronary sinus. A forming element may be attached to the elongate body for manipulating the elongate body from the first transluminal configuration to the second remodeling configuration. Further, the elongate body may comprise a tube having a plurality of transverse slots therein.

A device, system, and method effects mitral valve annulus geometry of a heart. The device includes a first anchor configured to be positioned within and fixed to the coronary sinus of the heart adjacent the mitral valve annulus within the heart. A cable is fixed to the first anchor and extends proximately therefrom and slidingly through a second anchor which is positioned and fixed in the heart proximal to the first anchor. A lock locks the cable to the second anchor when tension is applied to the cable for effecting the mitral valve annulus geometry.

Prosthetic mitral heart valves and anchors for use with such valves are provided that allow for an improved implantation procedure. In various embodiments, a helical anchoring device is formed as a coiled or twisted anchor that includes one or more turns that twist or curve around a central axis. Curved arms attached to the frame of the valve guide the helical anchoring device into position beneath the valve leaflets and around the mitral valve annulus as it exits the delivery catheter, and the expandable prosthetic mitral valve is held within the coil of the anchoring device. The anchoring device and the valve can be delivered together, simplifying the valve replacement procedure.

Unique semi-circular papillary muscle and annulus bands are described that are useful for modifying the alignment of papillary muscles, a mitral valve annulus and/or a tricuspid valve annulus. Methods to effect the alignment are also described and an unique sizing device that can be used for such alignment is described.

Methods and devices for reshaping or reforming tissue, such as a mitral valve of a heart, are described. An implant includes a generally flexible body and a plurality of magnetic portions such that the magnetic portions interact to cause a change in the shape of the implant, which, in turn, effects a change in shape of the subject tissue. In one example, at least one implant is positioned within a coronary sinus to affect the shape of the mitral valve annulus. The implant may further include fixation mechanisms for securing the implant within a vessel and may provide for removability after desired deformation of the subject tissue has taken place.

Tissue shaping methods and devices are provided. The devices can be adjusted within the body of a patient in a less invasive or non-invasive manner, such as by applying energy percutaneously or external to the patient's body. In one example, the device is positioned within the coronary sinus of the patient so as to effect changes in at least one dimension of the mitral valve annulus. The device may also advantageously include a shape memory material that is responsive to changes in temperature and/or exposure to a magnetic field. In one example, the shape memory material is responsive to energy, such as electromagnetic or acoustic energy, applied from an energy source located outside the coronary sinus. A material having enhanced absorption characteristics with respect to the desired heating energy may also be used to facilitate heating and adjustment of the tissue shaping device.

A system for treating mitral valve regurgitation includes a tensioning device having a plurality of helical anchors and a tensioning filament. One embodiment of the invention includes a method for attaching a tensioning device to the annulus of a mitral valve in a trans-leaflet configuration, and applying a tension force to the tension filament in order to exert force vectors on the annulus, thereby reshaping the mitral valve annulus so that the coaption of the anterior and posterior leaflets of the mitral is improved during ventricular contraction.

A device, a kit and a method are presented for permanently augmenting the pump function of the left heart. The basis for the presented innovation is an augmentation of the physiologically up and down movement of the mitral valve during each heart cycle. By means of catheter technique, minimal surgery, or open heart surgery implants are inserted into the left ventricle, the mitral valve annulus, the left atrium and adjacent tissue in order to augment the natural up and down movement of the mitral valve and thereby increasing the left ventricular diastolic filling and the piston effect of the closed mitral valve when moving towards the apex of said heart in systole and/or away from said apex in diastole.

An improved medical implant for treating mitral regurgitation is provided. The medical implant comprises proximal and distal anchors connected by a bridge. The medical implant is configured to be delivered into a coronary sinus using a minimially invasive procedure. The bridge is preferably made of a shape memory material which is biased to contract after the implant is delivered. The medical implant further comprises a reinforcement mechanism configured to limit stresses and strains along the length of the bridge. In a preferred embodiment, the reinforcement mechanism is fixed to a plurality of attachment points along the bridge, thereby preventing excessive elongation between any two attachment points. A resorbable material is preferably disposed within gaps along the length of the bridge to temporarily maintain the bridge in an elongated condition. After the proximal and distal anchors are secured in the coronary sinus, the resorbable material gradually resorbs, thereby creating tension in the bridge which applies a force along the mitral valve annulus. The reinforcement mechanism ensures that stresses and strains and distributed evenly while the bridge is in tension.

A method for delivering a platform for reinforcing an annulus of a mitral valve: Passing a catheter having a sheath covering a tube formed from a metal into the left atrium, the tube including: an annular portion defining at least one opening, a plurality of upper elements attached to an upper perimeter of the annular portion and extending axially, and a plurality of lower elements attached to a lower perimeter of the annular portion. Inserting the tube into the annulus of the mitral valve; withdrawing the sheath, but leaving the sheath covering the annular portion and the upper elements; bending the lower elements until the lower elements extend radially so as to be positioned beneath the mitral valve; then withdrawing the sheath from covering the annular portion and the upper elements; bending the upper elements until the upper elements extend radially so as to be positioned above the mitral valve.

The invention relates to a valve annulus retractor, comprising a fixing nail, a nailing device, a connecting line, a knotter and a line cutter. The fixing nail comprises a screw needle and a fixing head, the screw needle is fixed on a proximal end of the fixing head, and the fixing head comprises a spiral segment and a contact spiral end at a distal end; the nailing device comprises an outer tubeand a rotary push member, the inner wall of the outer tube is provided with an internal thread matched with the spiral segment, and the proximal end of the rotary push member is provided with a structure matched with the contact spiral segment. During nailing, the fixing nail is assembled in the outer tube and cooperates with the rotary push member to screw to the proximal end of the outer tube, the connecting line is connected with the fixing head, and the connecting line is knotted by the knotter and cut by the line cutter. The valve annulus retractor of the invention can realize effective contraction treatment for a mitral valve annulus or a tricuspid annulus to reduce the reflux of a valve, the operation is simple and the safety is high.

The invention provides an automatic cardiac mitral valve annulus detecting method in the technical field of computer application. The automatic cardiac mitral valve annulus detecting method includes the steps: (1) rapidly recognizing valve annulus candidate characteristic points by an additive minimum-kernel support vector machine classifier based on local context characteristics; (2) calculating local weighted density of the candidate characteristic points by the aid of a weighted average filter; and (3) adaptively searching a threshold value of the local weighted density by a dichotomy method, calculating a central point of a continuous area, and calculating the characteristic points of a clustering center serving as a final mitral valve annulus by the aid of a nearest neighbor algorithm. The automatic cardiac mitral valve annulus detecting method has the advantages that automatic detection of a mitral valve annulus in an ultrasonic cardiogram is achieved, and diagnosis and quantitative analysis of mitral valve apparatus lesions is assisted.

A prosthetic mitral valve assembly, comprising a housing in which a plurality of leaflets are pivotally supported, wherein a periphery of the leaflets cooperates with an inner surface of the housing to close the valve and the housing is formed with an external shape which substantially corresponds to that of a mitral valve annulus so as to fit within the annulus.

The present invention is primarily directed to a cardiac valve support adapted for endovascular delivery to a cardiac valve, comprising first and second support elements and at least two bridging members that extend from the first support element to the second support element. The valve support may further comprise additional elements aimed at improving the stability of the device following implantation in the region of a cardiac valve annulus, particularly the mitral valve annulus.