Crimping device and method for loading stents and prosthetic heart valves

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10709591-B2
Application number	US-201715615144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2017
Priority date	Jun 6, 2017
Publication date	Jul 14, 2020
Grant date	Jul 14, 2020

Abstract

Systems and devices for crimping a medical device and associated methods are disclosed herein. A crimping device configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can include, for example, a frame including a stationary plate, a movable member, and a plurality of blades arranged to form a channel and each including a pin that projects through a slot on the movable member and a corresponding slot on the stationary plate. The crimping device can be actuated to move the movable member relative to the stationary plate to drive the pins along paths defined by the slots to thereby drive the blades radially inward to crimp a medical device positioned within the channel.

First claim

We claim:

1. A crimping device comprising:
a stationary plate having a plurality of individual first slots;
a movable member having a plurality of individual second slots, wherein the individual second slots are aligned with a portion of the corresponding individual first slots;
a plurality of movable blades arranged circumferentially to form a channel having a central axis extending therethrough, wherein—
each blade has a first end portion and a second end portion, and wherein the second end portion is radially farther from the central axis than the first end portion,
each blade includes a pin projecting from the second end portion of the blade, and
each pin extends through one of the first slots and a corresponding one of the second slots; and

an actuator device operably coupled to the movable member and configured to move the movable member relative to the stationary plate, wherein movement of the movable member drives the plurality of pins along a path defined by the first and second slots such that the plurality of blades move radially inward to decrease a diameter of the channel, and wherein the radial inward movement of the blades is configured to reduce a diameter of a medical device positioned within the channel to accommodate sizing of a delivery capsule for implanting the medical device using a minimally invasive procedure.

2. The crimping device of claim 1 wherein the blades include a first side and a second side facing away from the first side, the stationary plate is a first stationary plate facing the first side of the blades, the movable member is a first movable member facing the first side of the blades, and each pin is a first pin on the first side of each blade, and wherein the crimping device further comprises:
a second stationary plate facing the second side of the blades, the second stationary plate having a plurality of third slots;
a second movable member facing the second side of the blades, the second movable member having a plurality of fourth slots,
wherein—
each blade includes a second pin projecting from the second end portion on the second side of the blade,
each second pin extends through one of the third slots and a corresponding one of the fourth slots, and
the actuator device is operably coupled to the first and second movable members and configured to move the first and second movable members relative to the first and second stationary plates to thereby actuate the plurality of blades to vary the diameter of the channel.

3. The crimping device of claim 1 wherein the second slots define an arcuate path with a first end and a second end spaced closer to the channel than the first end.

4. The crimping device of claim 1 wherein the diameter of the channel varies along the central axis.

5. The crimping device of claim 1 wherein the blades have inner surfaces that define the channel, and wherein the inner surfaces are shaped such that the channel has a generally funnel shape.

6. The crimping device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of blades includes twelve blades.

7. The crimping device of claim 1 , wherein—
the movable member has a first position in which the channel has a maximum diameter,
the movable member has a second position in which the channel has a minimum diameter, and
the pins are positioned radially farther from the central axis in the first position than in the second position.

8. The crimping device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a frame; and
a holder removably coupled to the frame and configured to hold the medical device within the channel as the blades reduce the diameter of the medical device.

9. The crimping device of claim 8 wherein—
the movable member has a first position and a second position,
the channel has a smaller diameter in the second position than in the first position, and
the holder includes a plurality of fingers configured to engage a portion of the medical device in the first position and configured to disengage from the portion of the medical device in the second position.

10. The crimping device of claim 1 wherein the first slots define a straight path that extends radially away from the central axis.

11. The crimping device of claim 1 wherein the second slots have a length that is longer than a length of the first slots.

12. The crimping device of claim 1 wherein the first slots and second slots are equally spaced angularly around the central axis.

13. The crimping device of claim 1 , further comprising a connector coupled to the movable member and having a threaded hole extending therethrough, wherein:
the movable member is a rotatable member,
the actuator device is a threaded shaft and extends through the threaded hole of the connector, and
wherein, to actuate the rotatable member, the actuator device is configured to rotate the threaded shaft about a longitudinal axis of the shaft such that the connector moves along the shaft.

14. The crimping device of claim 1 wherein the channel is configured to receive a prosthetic heart valve device for implantation into a native mitral valve, and wherein the blades are configured to reduce an outer diameter of the prosthetic heart valve device from 1.300 inches to 0.4 inch or less.

15. A system for reducing a size of a stent device, the system comprising:
a crimping device including:
a frame having a stationary plate having a plurality of first slots,
a movable member having a plurality of second slots, wherein the movable member is movable with respect to the stationary plate,
a plurality of movable blades arranged circumferentially to define a channel having a central axis extending therethrough, wherein:
the channel is configured to receive a prosthetic heart valve device in an unexpanded state, the prosthetic heart valve device including the stent device,
the movable member is between the blades and the stationary plate,
each blade has a first end portion and a second end portion spaced radially farther from the central axis than the first end portion,
each blade includes a pin projecting from the second end portion and extending through one of the first slots and a corresponding one of the second slots, and

an actuator device configured to move the movable member to drive the plurality of blades between a first position in which the channel has a first cross-sectional dimension to a second position in which the channel has a second cross-sectional dimension smaller than the first cross-sectional dimension, wherein moving the blades from the first position to the second position decreases an outer dimension of the stent device, and wherein the first slots are configured to maintain relative position between the blades as the blades move between the first and second positions; and

a holder removably coupled to the frame and configured to hold the stent device within the channel when the blades are in the first position.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the blades are configured to continuously compress the prosthetic heart valve device as the blades move from the first position to the second position.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the channel has a funnel shape.

18. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a tray defining a reservoir that is configured to receive the crimping device therein.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the reservoir is configured to hold a chilled liquid therein, and wherein the liquid fills the channel when the crimping device is positioned within the reservoir.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the tra

Assignees

• Twelve Inc

Inventors

• Fox Jason
• Trask David

Classifications

• A61F2/9524

  Iris-type crimpers · CPC title

• A61F2240/001

  Designing or manufacturing processes · CPC title

• A61F2/958

  Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts · CPC title

• A61F2/9525

  using a funnel · CPC title

• A61F2/9522

  Means for mounting a stent or stent-graft onto or into a placement instrument · CPC title