Balloon mitral spacer

Abstract

A heart valve implant according to one embodiment may include a shaft and an anchor disposed on one end of the shaft, the anchor configured to engage tissue. The heart valve implant may further include an expandable member disposed over at least part of the shaft, the expandable member comprising a resiliently deformable internal layer and a resiliently deformable external layer disposed over the internal layer, the expandable member defining a chamber and being configured to receive an inflation medium in the chamber to expand the expandable member, the expandable member further configured to deform upon contact with at least a portion of at least one leaflet of a heart valve to at least partially conform to the shape of the leaflet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 .- 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A mitral valve implant comprising:
 a shaft extending generally linearly along a longitudinal axis of said mitral valve implant, said shaft having a first end and a second end;   an inflatable valve body defining at least one cavity and fixably coupled to said second end of said shaft in a stationary position with respect to said second end of said shaft;   wherein said shaft is hollow and in fluid communication with said expandable member; and   wherein said inflatable valve body configured to be disposed between at least two cusps of a mitral valve and to engage against at least a portion of at least one cusp of said mitral valve to at least partially restrict a flow of blood through said mitral valve in a closed position.   
     
     
         24 . The mitral valve implant of  claim 23 , further comprising an anchor coupled to said first end of said shaft. 
     
     
         25 . The mitral valve implant of  claim 24 , wherein said anchor comprises one or more rings configured for suturing to native coronary tissue. 
     
     
         26 . The mitral valve implant of  claim 23 , wherein said inflatable valve body comprises a resiliently deformable material. 
     
     
         27 . The mitral valve implant of  claim 23 , wherein said inflatable valve body is configured to at least partially expand from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration when a fluid, a gas or a gel is introduced into said inflatable valve body. 
     
     
         28 . The mitral valve implant of  claim 26 , wherein said fluid comprises saline or a fluoro visible material. 
     
     
         29 . The mitral valve implant of  claim 26 , wherein said gas is air. 
     
     
         30 . The mitral valve implant of  claim 23 , wherein said valve body is mechanically fastened to said second end of said shaft. 
     
     
         31 . A mitral valve implant comprising:
 a shaft having a first end and a second end; and   an expandable member, comprising an opening configured to receive said shaft and a cavity configured to receive an inflation medium, said expandable member coupled to said second end of said shaft and configured to be disposed between at least two cusps of a mitral valve and to engage against at least a portion of at least one cusp of said mitral valve to at least partially restrict a flow of blood through said mitral valve in a closed position.   
     
     
         32 . The mitral valve implant of  claim 31 , further comprising an anchor coupled to said first end of said shaft, said anchor configured to engage native coronary tissue. 
     
     
         33 . The mitral valve implant of  claim 31 , wherein said shaft is flexible. 
     
     
         34 . The mitral valve implant of  claim 31 , wherein said shaft is hollow and in fluid communication with said expandable member. 
     
     
         35 . The mitral valve implant of  claim 31 , wherein said expandable member is substantially symmetrical about shaft. 
     
     
         36 . The mitral valve implant of  claim 31 , wherein the inflation medium comprises fluid, a thermoset polymer resin, or a gel material. 
     
     
         37 . The mitral valve implant of  claim 36 , wherein the fluid comprises saline or a fluoro visible material. 
     
     
         38 . The mitral valve implant of  claim 36 , wherein introduction of the inflation medium in the expandable member causes an expanded configuration. 
     
     
         39 . The mitral valve implant of  claim 31 , wherein the expandable member is generally cylindrical in shape in a collapsed configuration. 
     
     
         40 . The mitral valve implant of  claim 31 , wherein the expandable member further comprises a resiliently deformable material. 
     
     
         41 . The mitral valve implant of  claim 40 , wherein the resiliently deformable material is an elastomer. 
     
     
         42 . The mitral valve implant of  claim 31 , wherein the expandable member is detachable from said shaft.