Method and apparatus for improving mitral valve function

Abstract

A method and apparatus for reducing mitral regurgitation. The apparatus is inserted into the coronary sinus of a patient in the vicinity of the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve, the apparatus being adapted to straighten the natural curvature of at least a portion of the coronary sinus in the vicinity of the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve, whereby to move the posterior annulus anteriorly and thereby improve leaflet coaptation and reduce mitral regurgitation.

Description

REFERENCE TO PENDING PRIOR PATENT APPLICATIONS [0001] This patent application claims benefit of: [0002] (1) pending prior U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 266,766, filed Feb. 5, 2001 by William E. Cohn et al. for TRANSVASCULAR APPROACH TO MITRAL VALVE PROCEDURES (Attorney's Docket No. VIA-16 PROV); [0003] (2) pending prior U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 273,893, filed Mar. 5, 2001 by William E. Cohn et al. for TRANSVASCULAR METHODS AND DEVICES FOR MITRAL VALVE PROCEDURES (Attorney's Docket No. VIA-17 PROV); [0004] (3) pending prior U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 278,153, filed Mar. 23, 2001 by William E. Cohn et al. for METHOD AND APPPARATUS TO IMPROVE MITRAL VALVE FUNCTION (Attorney's Docket No. VIA-18 PROV); [0005] (4) pending prior U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 279,974, filed Mar. 29, 2001 by Daniel C. Taylor et al. for METHOD AND APPARATUS TO IMPROVE MITRAL VALVE FUNCTION (Attorney's Docket No. VIA-19 PROV); [000...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for reducing mitral regurgitation. The method involves inserting a straight or rigid elongated body into the coronary sinus in the vicinity of the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve to straighten the natural curvature of the coronary sinus and improve leaflet coaptation. The apparatus can be permanently or temporarily implanted and can be used in patients with heart failure or acute myocardial infarction. The technical effects of the invention include reducing mitral regurgitation, improving heart function, and minimizing the invasiveness of the procedure."

Problems solved by technology

Such a procedure is associated with high morbidity and mortality.

Due to the risk associated with this procedure, many of the sickest patients are denied the potential benefits of surgical correction of mitral regurgitation.

In addition, patients with moderate, symptomatic mitral regurgitation are denied early intervention and undergo surgical correction only after the development of cardiac dysfunction.

Mitral regurgitation is a common occurrence in patients with heart failure and a source of important morbidity and mortality in these patients.

These geometric alterations result in incomplete coaptation of the mitral leaflets at systole.

Unfortunately, however, the invasive nature of mitral valve surgery and the attendant risks render most heart failure patients poor surgical candidates.

In addition, mitral regurgitation is the primary cause of cardiogenic shock in approximately 10% of patients who develop severe hemodynamic instability in the setting of acute myocardial infarction.

Unfortunately, however, patients with acute mitral regurgitation complicating acute myocardial infarction are particularly high-risk surgical candidates, and are therefore not good candidates for a traditional annuloplasty procedure.

Images