Neochord, Inc.

John Zentgraf

David Joseph Parins

Arun Saini

Giovanni Speziali

Dave Blaeser

Terry Peters

Arun Sarini

A device for performing minimally invasive repair of mitral valve leaflets in a beating heart through the delivery and implantation of artificial chordae tendineae includes a handle for positioning the device into a chest cavity of the patient, a capture assembly adapted to capture a valve leaflet between distal an proximal tip portions, a needle adapted to penetrate the valve leaflet, and a capture confirmation system for verifying capture of the valve leaflet between the distal and proximal tip portions.

Minimally invasive repair of a valve leaflet in a beating heart

A method of repairing a heart valve provides intravascular access for repair of a heart valve through a ventricular trans-septal approach. An external guide catheter can be inserted through a vein of a patient into the right ventricle via the right atrium. An internal guide catheter can be inserted through the external guide and can provide access to the septum for a puncture tool to create an opening through the septum to the left ventricle. The internal guide can then be advanced into the left ventricle and used to guide a deployment catheter that deploys a repair device onto the heart valve.

Minimally invasive repair of heart valve leaflets

A ringless web is configured to repair heart valve function in patients suffering from degenerative mitral valve regurgitation (DMR) or functional mitral valve regurgitation (FMR). In accordance with various embodiments, a ringless web can be anchored at one or more locations below the valve plane in the ventricle, such as at a papillary muscle, and one or more locations above the valve plane, such as in the valve annulus. A tensioning mechanism connecting the ringless web to one or more of the anchors can be used to adjust a tension of the web such that web restrains the leaflet to prevent prolapse by restricting leaflet motion to the coaptation zone and/or promotes natural coaptation of the valve leaflets.

Ringless web for repair of heart valves

Improved methods and apparatuses for heart valve repair in a beating heart of a patient utilize an exchangeable heart valve repair system. Heart valve repair system can include a port adapted to be seated in the heart wall and a catheter slidable within the port. The catheter can be selectively locked relative to the port for insertion into the heart and unlocked once the port is seated to allow the catheter to move distally towards target tissue. System elements can be selectively removed from and replaced within port to deploy repair devices while port maintains a seal while elements are and are not inserted.

Exchangeable system for minimally invasive beating heart repair of heart valve leaflets

Methods and apparatus for heart valve repair utilize a heart valve repair device including a generally annular ring-like structure and a net structure. The ring-like structure is seated in the valve annulus with the net structure extending from the ring-like structure through the coaptation zone between leaflets. The net structure can then be anchored to a heart structure with a suture. Net structure extending between leaflets helps prevent prolapse of leaflets and can aid in coaptation.

Devices and methods for minimally invasive repair of heart valves

To improve the overall navigation process for minimally invasive repair of heart valve leaflets, an augmented reality technique capable of providing a robust three-dimensional context for transesophogeal echocardiography data has been developed. In the context of various embodiment of the invention, augmented reality essentially refers to a system in which the primary environment is virtual but the environment is augmented by real elements. In this real-time environment, the surgeon can easily and intuitively identify the tool, surgical targets, and high risk areas, and view tool trajectories and orientations.

Surgical navigation for repair of heart valve leaflets

A valve repair device with a replaceable suture cartridge for repair of a valve leaflet in a beating heart of a patient includes a valve repair device and a replaceable suture cartridge. The valve repair device can include a handle with an actuator, a capture assembly including one portion of a jaw assembly adapted to grasp the leaflet and a needle head for penetrating the leaflet. The replaceable suture cartridge can include a secondary shaft including a second portion of the jaw assembly integrally couplable to the capture assembly and a channel within which a suture is carried.

Improved methods and apparatuses for heart valve repair in a beating heart of a patient utilize an exchangeable heart valve repair system. Heart valve repair system can include a port adapted to be seated in the heart wall and an imaging catheter slidable within the port. The imaging catheter can be selectively locked relative to the port for insertion into the heart and unlocked once the port is seated to allow the imaging catheter to move distally towards target tissue. A deployment catheter slidably disposed in the imaging catheter and a repair cartridge slidably disposed in the deployment catheter can be used to capture the target tissue and deploy a repair device into the tissue after proper capture is confirmed. System elements can be selectively removed from and replaced within port to deploy additional repair devices while port maintains a seal while elements are and are not inserted.

A device for performing minimally invasive repair of mitral valve leaflets in a beating heart through the delivery and implantation of artificial chordae tendinae includes a handle for positioning the device into a chest cavity of the patient, a capture assembly adapted to capture a valve leaflet between distal an proximal tip portions, a needle adapted to penetrate the valve leaflet, and a capture confirmation system for verifying capture of the valve leaflet between the distal and proximal tip portions.

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Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

John Zentgraf