Harpoon Medical, Inc.

University System of Maryland

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation

Julie Marie Etheridge

Felino V Cortez, Jr

Stephen Cournane

Peter M Wilson

James S Gammie

Stephen Epstein

Luke Anthony Zanetti

Peter H Boyd

Michael Nicholas D'ambra

Wesley Paul Nicholson

Felino V Cortez

Peter Boyd

Described herein are methods and apparatus for implanting grafts to leaflets for cardiac procedures that are performed minimally-invasively while the heart is beating. The graft elongates, reinforces, and patches the leaflet. In certain disclosed examples, the graft is secured to the atrium or ventricle side of the leaflet with an artificial cord implanted on an edge of the graft to improve coaptation. In some disclosed examples, the graft is secured to both leaflets to enable an edge-to-edge procedure similar to the Alfieri technique. Some examples of the disclosed methods including introducing the graft into the ventricle and guiding it into place using artificial cords previously implanted in the leaflet.

Implanting grafts to valve leaflets for cardiac procedures

Described herein are devices and methods for mitral valve repair. The devices and methods implant a plurality of distal anchors at an annulus of the mitral valve (e.g., the posterior annulus) and tension artificial chordae to pull the portion of the annulus toward an opposite edge and inward into the ventricle. This can effectively reduce the size of the orifice and increase coaptation. The delivery devices can be configured to be actuated to form a distal anchor made of a pre-formed knot. The delivery devices deliver the pre-formed knot in an elongate configuration. Actuation of the delivery device causes the pre-formed knot to transition from the elongate configuration to the deployed configuration by approximating opposite ends of a suture coupled to a coiled configuration to form one or more loops. After formation of the knot, the delivery device can be withdrawn.

Delivery devices for forming a distal anchor for mitral valve repair

Described herein are methods and apparatus for approximating targeted tissue using locking sutures. The locking sutures can be configured to receive suture ends that are interweaved through portions of the locking sutures. In a pre-deployment configuration, a locking suture can slide along suture tails and can be positioned at a target location within a target region. Once a desired position and/or tension is achieved, the locking suture can be transitioned to a post-deployment configuration where the locking suture constricts around the suture tails to inhibit relative movement between the suture tails and the locking suture.

Method and apparatus for cardiac procedures

Described herein are devices and methods for mitral valve repair. The devices and methods implant a plurality of distal anchors at an annulus of the mitral valve (e.g., the posterior annulus) and tension artificial chordae to pull the portion of the annulus toward an opposite edge and inward into the ventricle. This can effectively reduce the size of the orifice and increase coaptation. The anchor points of the artificial chordae can be offset from the apex of the heart to achieve a targeted force vector on the annulus. In addition, some embodiments include distal anchors implanted in the posterior leaflet in addition to those at the posterior annulus. This allows differential tensioning to be applied to provide for greater flexibility in treating various configurations of mitral valves to improve coaptation.

Distal anchor apparatus and methods for mitral valve repair

Growing community of inventors

Ellicott City, MD, United States of America

Julie Marie Etheridge