Heart valve chord cutter

Abstract

A medical device and method for percutaneously treating a heart valve. In one embodiment, the medical device includes a catheter having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a notch formed near the distal portion. A cutting element may be disposed within the distal portion and is moveable across the notch to slice through a heart chord.

1 . A kit for treating a heart valve, the kit comprising: 
 a first catheter having a cutting element, said first catheter having a size and shape to be percutaneously advanced and positioned relative to a heart valve chord, said cutting element for cutting through said heart valve chord;    a second catheter having a support member which is released from said second catheter, said support member being deployed percutaneously by said second catheter to at least one of a region of a mitral valve or a region of a coronary sinus adjacent to said mitral valve.    
   
   
       2 . The kit of  claim 1 , further comprising instructions for using said kit.  
   
   
       3 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein said cutting element is disposed near a notch in a distal portion of said first catheter and wherein said support member reshapes a mitral valve annulus.  
   
   
       4 . A method for cutting a heart valve chord, the method comprising: 
 advancing a cutting element disposed with a catheter to said heart valve chord percutaneously;    positioning said heart valve chord relative to said cutting element;    cutting through said heart valve chord with said cutting element.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein cutting further comprises operating a control mechanism coupled to said cutting element.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein positioning further comprises steering said catheter with said control mechanism.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein advancing further comprises placing said catheter in a left ventricle of a patient's heart.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein positioning further comprises placing a mitral valve chordae relative to said cutting element.  
   
   
       9 . A method for treating a heart valve, the method comprising: 
 advancing a cutting element disposed with a catheter to a heart valve chord percutaneously;    positioning said heart valve chord relative to said cutting element;    cutting through said heart valve chord with said cutting element;    deploying percutaneously a support member to at least one of a region of a mitral valve or a region of a coronary sinus adjacent to said mitral valve.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said cutting element is disposed near a notch in a distal portion of said catheter and wherein said support member reshapes a mitral valve annulus.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said deploying comprises advancing said support element with a second catheter.  
   
   
       12 . A method for cutting a heart valve chord, the method comprising: 
 advancing a cutting element disposed within a catheter to said heart valve chord percutaneously, said catheter having a notch formed therein;    positioning said heart valve chord within said notch;    actuating said cutting element across said notch to slice through said heart valve chord.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein actuating further comprises retracting said cutting element from a first position distal to said notch to a second position proximal to said notch.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein actuating further comprises operating a control mechanism coupled to said cutting element.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein positioning further comprises steering said catheter with said control mechanism.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein advancing further comprises placing said catheter in a left ventricle of a patient's heart.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein positioning further comprises placing a mitral valve chordae within said notch.