Mitral valve repair system and method for use

Abstract

The present invention is directed to various systems for repairing tissue within the heart of a patient. The mitral valve repair system of the present invention comprises a guide catheter having a proximal end, a distal end, and at least one internal lumen formed therein, a therapy catheter capable of applying a suture to the tissue, and a fastener catheter capable of attaching a fastener to the suture. The therapy catheter and the fastener catheter are capable of traversing the internal lumen of the guide catheter. In addition, the present invention discloses various methods for repairing tissue within the heart of a patient. In one embodiment, the method of repairing heart valve tissue includes advancing a guide catheter through a circulatory pathway to a location in the heart proximate to a heart valve, advancing a therapy catheter through the guide catheter to the heart valve, stabilizing a first leaflet with the therapy catheter, deploying a first suture into the stabilized first leaflet, disengaging the first leaflet from the therapy catheter while leaving the first suture attached thereto, stabilizing a second leaflet with the therapy catheter, deploying a second suture into the second leaflet, disengaging the second leaflet from the therapy catheter while leaving the second suture attached thereto, and joining the first and second leaflets by reducing the distance between the first and second sutures.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 389,721 filed on Mar. 14, 2003, the contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]In vertebrate animals, the heart is a hollow muscular organ having four pumping chambers: the left atrium, the left ventricle, the right atrium and the right ventricle. The atria are isolated from their respective ventricles by one-way valves located at the respective atrial-ventricular junctions. These valves are identified as the mitral (or bicuspid) valve on the left side of the heart, and tricuspid valve on the right side of the heart. The exit valves from the left and right ventricles are identified as the aortic and pulmonary valves, respectively.[0003]The valves of the heart are positioned in valvular annuluses that comprise dense fibrous rings attached either directly or indirectly to the atrial and ventricular muscle...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a system for repairing tissue within the heart of a patient. The system includes a guide catheter, a therapy catheter, and a fastener catheter. The guide catheter has an internal lumen for inserting a suture and a fastener catheter. The therapy catheter can apply a suture to the tissue and the fastener catheter can attach a fastener to the suture. The system can deliver the suture and fastener to the tissue through a catheter. The invention also provides a device for applying a fastener to suture material attached to tissue within the heart of a patient. The invention allows for effective stabilization of tissue within the heart and provides a reliable method for repairing heart valve tissue.

Problems solved by technology

One common form of heart disease involves the deterioration or degradation of the heart valves which leads to stenosis and / or insufficiency.

Insufficiency is a condition in which the valve does not close properly.

For example, the invasive nature of the implantation procedure typically results in substantial patient discomfort and requires patients to remain hospitalized for extended recovery periods.

However, the operational lifetimes of tissue valves is typically shorter than mechanical valves and thus may require a subsequent replacement(s) during the patient's lifetime.

Although such annuloplasty procedures have become popular and well accepted, reshaping the surrounding annulus and traditional leaflet repairs do not always lead to optimum leaflet coaptation.

As a result, some patients may still experience residual mitral valve regurgitation following such annuloplasty procedures.

Oz's procedure very skill-intensive.

Often, use of these devices results in the less than optimal leaflet stabilization and fastener placement.

Many of these problems arise from the fact that the surgeon is required to capture, retain and fasten the leaflets in one relatively inflexible procedure.

These difficulties are compounded when the leaflets are small or calcified making them difficult to pull together, and in beating heart procedures in which the leaflets are actively functioning.

In addition, the size and complexity of most current devices make minimally invasive surgical procedures more difficult, if not impossible.

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