Edwards Lifesciences Corporation

White Consolidated Industries, Inc.

Robert Milich

David Mark Taylor

Robert R Bowes

David J Evans

Ronaldo C Cayabyab

Christopher Chia

Philippe Marchand

Robert Royal Bowes

William L Blowers

Kenneth F Stofle

Walter Kovacs

Richard Shields

Assemblies and delivery apparatus for delivering a medical device into a patient's vasculature are disclosed. In some examples, an assembly includes a delivery apparatus and a radially compressible and expandable prosthetic heart valve. The delivery apparatus includes a handle, a first shaft and a second shaft extending from the handle, and a locking mechanism to prevent axial movement of the second shaft relative to first shaft. The second shaft extends coaxially through the first shaft and includes, at a distal end portion thereof, a balloon, one or more radiopaque markers, and the prosthetic valve radially compressed over the balloon. A flared end piece extending from the first shaft covers a proximal portion of the balloon during advancing of the delivery apparatus through a patient's vasculature. The first shaft is retractable relative to the second shaft to expose the balloon from the flared end piece.

Delivery apparatus for prosthetic heart valve

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an introducer device and methods for introducing a medical device into a patient's vasculature. In one embodiment, a method of using an introducer device including a housing, a hemostatic seal mounted within the housing, and a tube extending into the housing and movable longitudinally relative to the hemostatic seal between a proximal position and a distal position, includes moving the tube to the distal position such that the distal end of the tube extends through the hemostatic seal. The method further includes inserting a distal end portion of the medical device through the tube and into the patient's vasculature without contacting the hemostatic seal.

Introducer device for medical procedures

A method for replacing a stenotic native aortic valve of a patient can include inserting a delivery apparatus into a femoral artery of the patient, the delivery apparatus having a first shaft extending from the handle, a second shaft disposed around the first shaft, a third shaft extending through the second shaft, and a valve cover coupled to the first shaft. The valve cover can be in a first state housing an entirety of a prosthetic heart valve and retaining the prosthetic heart valve in a radially compressed state during the act of inserting. The method can further include advancing the delivery apparatus through the aorta of the patient to position the valve cover and the prosthetic heart valve within the native aortic valve, and moving the valve cover longitudinally from the first state to a second state in which the entirety of the prosthetic heart valve is uncovered.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a delivery apparatus for a prosthetic heart valve. Disclosed delivery apparatuses can include a handle, a first shaft extending from the handle, a second shaft disposed around the first shaft, and a valve cover. The valve cover can be coupled to a distal end portion of the first shaft and can be configured to house a prosthetic heart valve in a radially compressed state. The valve cover can have an outer diameter greater than an outer diameter of the second shaft, and the first shaft and valve cover can be movable together in an axial direction relative to the second shaft.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an introducer device for introducing a medical device into a patient's vasculature. In one embodiment, the introducer device comprises a housing, a distal sheath adapted to be inserted into a patient's vasculature with the housing positioned outside of the patient's vasculature, a hemostatic seal mounted within the housing, and a tube positioned within the housing and movable longitudinally relative to the hemostatic seal between a proximal position and a distal position. In the proximal position, a distal end of the tube is positioned proximal to the hemostatic seal with the hemostatic seal closed. In the distal position, the distal end of the tube extends through the hemostatic seal and permits the medical device to be inserted through the housing and into the patient's vasculature without contacting the hemostatic seal.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a delivery apparatus for a prosthetic heart valve. Disclosed steerable catheters can include a handle, a steerable shaft extending from the handle, and a pull wire. The shaft can include a main lumen, an inner polymeric layer surrounding the main lumen, a braided layer surrounding the inner polymeric layer, and an outer polymeric layer surrounding the braided layer, the outer polymeric layer defining a pull wire lumen. The pull wire can extend from the handle and through the pull wire lumen and can have a distal end portion coupled to a distal end portion of the shaft.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an introducer device and method for introducing a delivery apparatus into a patient's vasculature. Disclosed methods can include positioning a sleeve of an introducer sheath in a blood vessel of a patient, the sleeve having a lattice layer with a lumen therethrough, inserting a distal end portion of the delivery apparatus and a prosthetic heart valve into the lumen, and advancing the distal end portion of the delivery apparatus through the lumen from the proximal end to the distal end. The method can then include expanding the lumen from a first diameter smaller to a second diameter at least equal to the diameter of the prosthetic heart valve to allow passage of the prosthetic heart valve through the lumen, and returning the lumen of the sleeve to a diameter smaller than the second diameter after advancing the prosthetic heart valve through the lumen.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a delivery apparatus for a prosthetic heart valve. Disclosed delivery apparatuses can include a housing, a steerable shaft, a slide nut, and a threaded shaft disposed over the slide nut. The slide nut can have an external threaded surface and an internal surface comprising a slot. The threaded shaft can have an internal threaded surface engaging the external threaded surface of the slide nut. The delivery apparatus can further include an elongated nut guide extending into the slot of the nut to restrain the slide nut against rotation relative to the housing, and a pull wire having a proximal end portion extending into the housing and coupled to the slide nut, and a distal end portion coupled to a distal end portion of the steerable shaft. The threaded shaft can be rotatable relative to the housing to produce axial movement of the slide nut within the threaded shaft.

An assembly includes a prosthetic heart valve and a delivery apparatus for implanting the prosthetic heart valve within the native aortic valve of a patient. The prosthetic heart valve has a radially compressible and expandable metallic stent and a flexible valvular structure mounted within the stent. The delivery apparatus has a handle, a first shaft having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, a second shaft extending co-axially through the first shaft and having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the proximal end portions of the first and second shafts extending distally from the handle, a valve cover coupled to the distal end portion of the first shaft, and a nose piece coupled to the distal end portion of the second shaft.

Integrated heart valve delivery system

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a delivery apparatus for delivering a prosthetic heart valve to a native valve site via the human vasculature without the need for a separate introducer sheath. The delivery apparatus is particularly well-suited for advancing a prosthetic valve through the aorta (i.e., in a retrograde approach) for replacing a stenotic aortic valve.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a delivery apparatus for delivering a prosthetic heart valve to a native valve site via the human vasculature. The delivery apparatus is particularly well-suited for advancing a prosthetic valve through the aorta (i.e., in a retrograde approach) for replacing a stenotic aortic valve.

A combined air gap and dispensing device is adapted to be mounted on a sink, and comprises an internal air gap between inlet and outlet waste tubes. A liquid carrying pipe, such as a hot water pipe, also extends through the device to a faucet for being dispensed. A pair of fiber optic cables have exposed ends at the upper end of the device, and are coupled to a control system for valving liquid to the dispensing pipe. The control circuit may include a light source directed to one of the fiber optic cables, a photo sensor connected to the fiber optic cable to receive reflected light, and amplifying and demodulating circuitry, as well as a logic circuit responsive to determined conditions at the upper ends of the fiber optic cables for controlling the flow of liquid to the dispensing pipe. A pneumatic tube and pneumatic actuator may be provided instead of the optic cables and associated optic devices.

Growing community of inventors

Long Beach, CA, United States of America

Robert Milich