Delivery system for a stentless valve bioprosthesis

Abstract

The current invention discloses a catheter and a method for delivering a stentless bloprosthesis in a body channel, the method comprising percutaneously introducing a catheter into the body channel, wherein the catheter contains said stentless bloprosthesis at a retracted state; and disengaging said stentless bioprosthesis out of a distal opening of the catheter by a pulling mechanism associated with the catheter structure.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for delivering a longitudinally collapsible prosthesis to an anatomical site in a body channel, the method comprising: 
 introducing a catheter into the body channel, wherein the catheter contains a longitudinally collapsible prosthesis in a retracted state;    advancing the catheter to an anatomical site;    maintaining a distal portion of the longitudinally collapsible prosthesis in place relative to the anatomical site by attaching the distal portion of the prosthesis to the interior of the anatomical site;    disengaging the longitudinally collapsible prosthesis from said catheter, wherein the collapsible prosthesis expands from the retracted state to a non-retracted state; and    withdrawing said catheter from the body channel.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinally collapsible prosthesis is a vascular graft.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinally collapsible prosthesis is a biological vascular graft.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinally collapsible prosthesis is a stentless cardiac valve.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinally collapsible prosthesis is a valved conduit.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinally collapsible prosthesis is a venous valve.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of attaching the distal portion of the prosthesis to the interior of the anatomical site further comprises a step of stapling said prosthesis into the tissue of the body channel.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of attaching the distal portion of the prosthesis to the interior of the anatomical site further comprises a step of adhering said prosthesis into the tissue of the body channel.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of attaching the distal portion of the prosthesis to the interior of the anatomical site further comprises a step of coupling said prosthesis into the tissue of the body channel.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said distal portion of the longitudinally collapsible prosthesis is maintained in place at a position relative to the anatomical site by an elongated delivery member located within a lumen of the catheter, said elongated delivery member having an engagement element at a distal end of the said elongated delivery member, where in the engaging element is adapted for engaging and digging ht distal portion of said longitudinally collapsible prosthesis. a therapeutic fluid is introduced into the lumen of the catheter shaft.  
     
     
         11 . A method for delivering a stentless longitudinally collapsible bioprosthesis in a body channel, 
 the method comprising percutaneously introducing a catheter into the body channel, wherein the catheter contains said stentless longitudinally collapsible bioprosthesis at a retracted state; and disengaging said stentless bioprosthesis out of a distal opening of the catheter by pulling the distal end of the stentless bioprosthesis.    
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein said pulling mechanism further comprises an engaging element coupling to a distal portion of the stentless longitudinally collapsible bioprosthesis from said engaging element.