Heart valve anchor and method

Abstract

Apparatus for endovascularly replacing a patient's heart valve. In some embodiments the apparatus includes an expandable anchor with a lip region and a skirt region; and a replacement valve, wherein the lip region and skirt region are configured for percutaneous expansion to engage leaflets of the heart valve. The invention is also a method for endovascularly replacing a patient's heart valve. In some embodiments the method includes the steps of endovascularly delivering apparatus including an anchor having lip and skirt regions, and a replacement valve coupled to the anchor, to a vicinity of the heart valve in a collapsed delivery configuration; and expanding the apparatus such that leaflets of the heart valve are captured between the lip and skirt regions of the anchor.

1 . Apparatus for endovascularly replacing a patient's heart valve, the apparatus comprising: 
 an expandable anchor comprising a lip region and a skirt region; and    a replacement valve,    wherein the lip region and skirt region are configured for percutaneous expansion to engage leaflets of the heart valve.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the lip region and skirt region are configured for independent expansion.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the lip region and skirt region are configured for concurrent expansion.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the lip region is adapted to preclude distal migration of the apparatus post-deployment and expansion.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the skirt section is adapted to preclude proximal migration of the apparatus post-deployment and expansion.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the anchor is at least partially covered by a biocompatible film.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the replacement valve is configured to be coupled to the anchor during percutaneous delivery.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the anchor and the replacement valve are adapted for expansion from the delivery to the deployed configurations via a mechanism chosen from the group consisting of balloon-expansion, self-expansion, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a delivery system configured for percutaneous advancement of the apparatus to a vicinity of the patient's diseased valve while the anchor is disposed in a collapsed delivery configuration.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the delivery system facilitates deployment and expansion of the apparatus to endovascularly replace the heart valve.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the delivery system is configured to retrieve the apparatus.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising at least one locking element configured to maintain expansion of the lip region and the skirt region.  
   
   
       13 . A method for endovascularly replacing a patient's heart valve, the method comprising: 
 endovascularly delivering apparatus comprising an anchor having lip and skirt regions, and a replacement valve coupled to the anchor, to a vicinity of the heart valve in a collapsed delivery configuration;    expanding the apparatus such that leaflets of the heart valve are captured between the lip and skirt regions of the anchor.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein expanding the apparatus further comprises dynamically repositioning the apparatus relative to the heart valve prior to capturing the leaflets.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein expanding the apparatus further comprises expanding either the lip region or the skirt region, positively engaging the heart valve with the expanded lip or skirt region, and then expanding the unexpanded region.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein expanding the apparatus further comprises retrieving the apparatus, repositioning the apparatus, and redeploying the apparatus.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising locking the apparatus in the expanded configuration.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein capturing the leaflets further comprises precluding proximal and distal migration of the apparatus relative to the patient's diseased valve.