Devices and methods for percutaneous tricuspid valve repair

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10918374-B2
Application number	US-201816184615-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2018
Priority date	Feb 26, 2013
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

The present teachings provide devices and methods of treating a tricuspid valve regurgitation. Specifically, one aspect of the present teachings provides devices and methods of identifying a suitable location on the tricuspid annulus, another aspect of the present teachings provides devices and methods of placing a wire across the tricuspid annulus at such an identified location, another aspect of the present teachings provides devices and methods of deploying a tissue anchor across such an identified location, and yet another aspect of the present teachings provides devices and methods of applying tension to two or more of such tissue anchors and reducing the circumference of the tricuspid annulus. As a result, a regurgitation jet is reduced or eliminated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for repairing a tricuspid valve of a patient's heart comprising the steps of:
positioning a locating catheter through the tricuspid valve into a right ventricle with a distal end of the locating catheter contacting the tricuspid annulus inside the right ventricle at a first location;
advancing a wire delivery catheter into the right atrium with a distal end of the wire delivery catheter being disposed opposite the distal end of the locating catheter, and contacting the tricuspid annulus inside the right atrium at the first location;
advancing a distal end of a wire from the right atrium across the tricuspid annulus to the right ventricle at the first location, wherein the wire tracks through an axial lumen of the wire delivery catheter;
tracking a first tissue anchor delivery catheter over the wire, crossing the tricuspid annulus with a distal end of the first tissue anchor delivery catheter being disposed inside the right ventricle; and
deploying a first tissue anchor through the first tissue anchor delivery catheter with a distal portion of the first tissue anchor positioned against the tricuspid annulus from inside the right ventricle, and a proximal portion of the tissue anchor being positioned against the tricuspid annulus from inside the right atrium.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including the steps of:
retracting the distal end of the wire back into the axial lumen of the wire delivery catheter;
positioning the locating catheter with the distal end of the locating catheter contacting the tricuspid annulus inside the right ventricle at a second location;
positioning the wire delivery catheter into the right atrium with the distal end of the wire delivery catheter disposed opposite the distal end of the locating catheter and contacting the tricuspid annulus inside the right atrium at the second location;
advancing the distal end of the wire from the right atrium across the tricuspid annulus to the right ventricle;
tracking a second tissue anchor delivery catheter over the wire, crossing the tricuspid annulus at the second location with a distal end of the second tissue anchor delivery catheter inside the right ventricle;
deploying a second tissue anchor with a distal portion of the second tissue anchor positioned against the tricuspid annulus from inside the right ventricle, and a proximal portion of the second tissue anchor positioned against the tricuspid annulus from inside the right atrium; and
plicating the tricuspid annulus by reducing the distance between the first and second tissue anchors.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein each of the first and second tissue anchor comprises:
a generally flexible anchor member capable of being inserted through tissue and moving between an elongate configuration and a shortened configuration suitable for anchoring against at least one side of the tissue, said anchor member having a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, and a compressible intermediate portion between said proximal end portion and said distal end portion; and
a tensioning member extending through the proximal end portion to the distal end portion and back to an anchor point at the proximal end portion, the tensioning member being operatively connected to said anchor member such that said anchor member can slide relative to said tensioning member, said tensioning member capable of being pulled to cause said anchor member to move relative to said tensioning member from said elongate configuration to said shortened configuration wherein the compressible intermediate portion can compress and thereby adjust to the thickness of the tissue between the proximal and distal end portions.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the distal end of each of the wire delivery catheter and the locating catheter includes a magnet for coupling the wire delivery catheter to the locating catheter, with the tricuspid annulus being disposed between the magnets.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein each magnet is annular shaped and surrounds a lumen in the respective catheter, the wire passing between the opposing lumens of the respective catheters.

Assignees

• Edwards Lifesciences Corp

Inventors

• Groothuis Adam
• Cahalane Steven
• Morrill Richard
• Alexander John

Classifications

• A61B2017/0419

  H-fasteners · CPC title

• A61B2017/0464

  for soft tissue · CPC title

• A61B2017/0406

  Pledgets · CPC title

• A61B2017/0409

  Instruments for applying suture anchors · CPC title

• A61B2017/00783

  Valvuloplasty · CPC title