Prosthetic heart valve cooling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017196684-A1
Application number	US-201614990657-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 7, 2016
Priority date	Jan 7, 2016
Publication date	Jul 13, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods of compressing a stented prosthetic heart valve are disclosed. The method including inserting a stented prosthetic heart valve having a self-expandable stent frame into a container, initiating a cooling element in the container, transferring heat through a thermal conductor to cool an interior of the container, reducing a temperature of the self-expandable stent frame while located within the container to a critical temperature of not greater than 8 ° C., and compressing an outer diameter of the stented prosthetic heart valve while the stented prosthetic heart valve is at the critical temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of compressing a stented prosthetic heart valve, comprising:
inserting a stented prosthetic heart valve having a self-expandable stent frame into a container; initiating a cooling element in the container; transferring heat through a thermal conductor to cool an interior of the container; reducing a temperature of the self-expandable stent frame while located within the container to a critical temperature; and compressing an outer diameter of the stented prosthetic heart valve while the stented prosthetic heart valve is at the critical temperature.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the container includes a first chamber and a second chamber encircling the first chamber.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
enclosing an interior of the first chamber after the step of inserting the stented prosthetic heart valve.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the stented prosthetic heart valve is maintained in a dry state during an entirety of the step of reducing a temperature.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of initiating a cooling element includes:
mixing reagents of the cooling element to cause an endothermic reaction.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of initiating a cooling element further includes:
breaking a temporary barrier between the reagents.

7 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of breaking a temporary barrier includes:
compressing the second chamber to break a temporary barrier and release the reagents.

8 . A method of loading a stented prosthetic heart valve to a transcatheter delivery system, comprising:
inserting a stented prosthetic heart valve in an expanded state into a first chamber of a cooling vessel; initiating cooling in a second chamber of the cooling vessel; transferring heat from the first chamber to the second chamber through a thermally conductive wall to cool an interior of the first chamber; reducing a temperature of the stented prosthetic heart valve while located within the first chamber to a critical temperature of not greater than 8° C.; removing the stented prosthetic heart valve from the first chamber; compressing the stented prosthetic heart valve while at the critical temperature; and inserting the compressed stented prosthetic heart valve into a delivery system.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of reducing a temperature of the stented prosthetic heart valve includes the first chamber being free of liquid.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
closing the first chamber of the cooling vessel after inserting the stented prosthetic heart valve.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the cooling is initiated with a thermoelectric cooler.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein cooling is initiated with circulating a coolant in the second chamber of the cooling vessel.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first chamber is sized to hold a single transcatheter valve.

14 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
circulating a coolant through the second chamber of the cooling vessel separated from the valve.

15 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
isolating the valve from directly contacting a cooling element.

16 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the valve is centrally positioned to the cooling vessel.

17 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the valve has a self-expanding frame that compresses.

18 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
manually compressing an exterior of the cooling vessel to cause mixing of reagents for endothermic reaction.

19 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the cooling occurs through thermoelectric cooling.

20 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the valve is maintained in a dry state.

Assignees

• Medtronic Vascular Inc

Inventors

• Wang Wei
• Wong Benjamin
• Mckinley Laura
• Dudney Joshua
• Tien Tracey
• Olney Karl

Classifications

• A61F2/9522

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

• A61F2/2427

  Devices for manipulating or deploying heart valves during implantation · CPC title

• A61F2/2418

  Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents · CPC title

• A61F2/2409 Primary

  Support rings therefor, e.g. for connecting valves to tissue (annuloplasty rings A61F2/2442) · CPC title

• B65B63/08

  for heating or cooling articles or materials to facilitate packaging · CPC title