Valtech Cardio Ltd.

Edwards Lifesciences Innovation (israel) Ltd.

Uriel Aba Pomerantz

Oz Cabiri

Yaron Herman

Eran Miller

Yoseph Weitzman

Yossi Gross

Tal Reich

Tal Hammer

Amir Gross

Tal Sheps

Francesco Maisano

Yosef Gross

Ehud Iflah

Apparatus is provided, including an implant including a tissue-adjusting member including a longitudinal member, and a tissue anchor coupled to the tissue-adjusting member and configured to be anchored into the tissue of the patient. A tissue-coupling element is coupled to the longitudinal member. A delivery tool is reversibly couplable to the implant and is configured to deliver the implant to the tissue of the patient. The delivery tool includes an elongate shaft, a tissue-coupling-element holder coupled to a portion of the elongate shaft, the tissue-coupling-element holder being configured to hold the tissue-coupling element during delivery of the implant to the tissue of the patient, and an actuating element configured to rotate the tissue anchor so as to facilitate anchoring of the tissue anchor into the tissue of the patient while not rotating the tissue-coupling-element holder with respect to the shaft.

Systems and methods for tissue adjustment

A method is provided including inserting into a heart a tissue-adjusting member selected from the group consisting of: one or more artificial chordae tendineae and an annuloplasty ring structure. An adjusting mechanism of the tissue-adjusting member adjusts tension of the tissue-adjusting member. The adjusting mechanism: (a) includes a locking mechanism configured to restrict adjusting of the tissue-adjusting member by the adjusting mechanism, and (b) is shaped to define a first coupling. The method further includes, using a tool reversibly coupled to the adjusting mechanism, restricting the adjusting of the tissue-adjusting member by the adjusting mechanism, by facilitating movement of the locking mechanism into a locked state. The tool is shaped to define a second coupling that mates with the first coupling of the adjusting mechanism. The first and second couplings are coupled together and remain mated during the restricting of the adjusting of the tissue-adjusting member.

Tool for actuating an adjusting mechanism

During a percutaneous procedure, a flexible sleeve of an annuloplasty structure is introduced into an atrium and arranged completely around an annulus as a closed loop, such that none of one or more longitudinal contracting members thereof is positioned along an anterior portion of the annulus between fibrous trigones of the valve. The annuloplasty structure is fastened to the annulus. At least a portion of a posterior portion of the annulus is tightened, while preserving a length of an anterior portion of the annulus between fibrous trigones of the valve, by contracting, using the one or more longitudinal contracting members, a longitudinal portion of the sleeve not positioned along the anterior portion of the annulus between the fibrous trigones of the valve. Thereafter, the one or more longitudinal contracting members are locked.

Closure element for use with annuloplasty structure

Apparatus is provided, including a tissue-adjusting member selected from the group consisting of: one or more artificial chordae tendineae and at least a portion of an annuloplasty ring structure. The tissue-adjusting member includes an adjusting mechanism that is configured to adjust a tension of the tissue-adjusting member. The adjusting mechanism includes a locking mechanism configured to restrict adjusting of the tissue-adjusting member by the adjusting mechanism. An elongate member is configured to maintain the locking mechanism in an unlocked state during adjusting of the tension of the tissue-adjusting member by the adjusting mechanism, and facilitate locking of the adjusting mechanism by the locking mechanism. A tool is configured to facilitate actuation of the adjusting mechanism to adjust the tension of the tissue-adjusting mechanism. The elongate member and the tool are slidably coupled with respect to each other. Other applications are also described.

Apparatus and methods are described including an annuloplasty structure configured for implantation along an annulus of an atrioventricular valve of a heart of a subject. The structure includes a coiled element comprising at least one first portion thereof which is flexible and longitudinally compressible, and at least one second portion thereof in series with the first portion, the second portion being flexible and less longitudinally compressible than the first portion. Other applications are also described.

Partially-adjustable annuloplasty structure

Apparatus is provided, including a tissue-adjusting member configured to be coupled to tissue of a patient, a rotatable structure that is configured to adjust a tension of the tissue-adjusting member, a tissue anchor coupled to the tissue-adjusting member and configured to screw into the tissue of the patient, and a delivery tool reversibly coupleable to the rotatable structure. The delivery tool comprises a first actuating element configured to rotate the tissue anchor so as to facilitate screwing of the tissue anchor into the tissue of the patient while not facilitating rotation of the rotatable structure, and a second actuating element configured to rotate the rotatable structure while not facilitating rotation of the tissue anchor. Other applications are also described.

Growing community of inventors

Kfar Sava, Israel

Uriel Aba Pomerantz