Medtronic, Inc.

Christopher G Toomes

Carol Elsa Eberhardt

Faisal Kalam

Janice Lynn Shay

Billie J Millwee

Mark J Capps

Tom Hessler

Thomas M Hessler

Mark J Capp

A method and apparatus for limiting longitudinal stretch during fixation of a harvested aortic root including valve leaflets and the product produced. The apparatus includes an inflow plug inserted into the inflow section of the aortic root and having an apertured tube or cannula extending through the valve leaflets to an outflow plug inserted into the outflow section of the aortic root. Apertures in the tube are located on either side of the valve leaflets and the tube is coupled to a fluid inlet, preferably located on the outflow plug. The outflow plug is slidable relative to the tube and is provided with an engagement mechanism such as a setscrew for fixing the location of the outflow plug relative to the tube and the inflow plug. After assembly of the aortic root to the apparatus, the fluid inlet is coupled to a source of defined pressure and the root is inflated. The outflow plug is then fixed relative to the tube to define the maximum elongation of the root and fixative is then delivered to the interior of the root via the apertured tube.

Heart valve fixation process and apparatus

An apparatus and a method for fixing a heart valve is disclosed that produces a differential pressure across the outflow section of the heart valve to the exterior of the valve that may be made relatively large while the differential pressure across the valve leaflets is small or zero. The invention comprises attaching the outflow section of a heart valve to a source of pressurized fluid; placing a small tube through the leaflets and plugging the inflow section. The tube is preferably attached to a cannula plug that plugs the inflow section of the valve. The tube has a fluid inlet near the connection point of the tube to the cannula plug to allow fluid around the connection point to enter the tube. The tube opens at its opposite end to form a fluid channel from a point near the connection of the cannula plug to the tube through the opposite end of the tube. The tube allows fluid in the outflow section to move across the leaflets to the inflow section. Fluid that enters the inflow section will be at the same fluid pressure as the fluid that is in the outflow section.

Natural tissue heart valve fixation apparatus and method

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Orange, CA, United States of America

Christopher G Toomes