Methods and devices for tissue grasping and assessment

Abstract

Devices, systems and methods are provided for stabilizing and grasping tissues such as valve leaflets, assessing the grasp of these tissues, approximating and fixating the tissues, and assessing the fixation of the tissues to treat cardiac valve regurgitation, particularly mitral valve regurgitation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 advancing a minimally invasive device into a chamber of a heart having a valve with valve leaflets, wherein the chamber comprises the left atrium and the valve comprises the mitral valve, and wherein the device comprises a stabilizer;   temporarily stabilizing the valve leaflets by reducing movement of the valve leaflets by positioning the stabilizer against the ventricular side of the leaflets so as to reduce flail of the leaflets,   wherein temporarily stabilizing the valve leaflets comprises temporarily slowing the natural pace of the heart with a pacing instrument member against the chordae.   
     
     
         2 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the stabilizer comprises an expandable member, a flap or at least one loop. 
     
     
         3 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the device includes at least one loop, and wherein temporarily stabilizing comprises positioning the at least one loop against the leaflets so as to reduce movement of the leaflets. 
     
     
         4 . A method as in  claim 3 , wherein temporarily stabilizing further comprises moving the at least one loop along the leaflets toward the center of the valve so as to reduce movement of the leaflets. 
     
     
         5 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the chamber comprises a ventricle including chordae extending from the ventricle to the valve leaflets, and wherein temporarily stabilizing comprises holding the chordae with the device so as to reduce movement of the valve leaflets. 
     
     
         6 . A method as in  claim 5 , wherein the device includes an expandable member and wherein holding the chordae comprises expanding the expandable member against the chordae.