Heart valve prosthesis with collapsible valve and method of delivery thereof

Abstract

A prosthesis including a frame configured for positioning at or near a native heart valve annulus, shaped and sized to prevent the frame element from shifting downstream of the native heart annulus, and at least two frame extensions attached to the frame at a first end proximal to the frame, the frame extensions configured and circumferentially arranged to extend between native heart valve leaflets, wherein the frame is configured for positioning at or near the native heart valve annulus with minimal interfering with opening and closing of the native heart valve leaflets, and the frame extensions are at least as long as the native heart leaflets, and are configured to extend between the native heart valve leaflets without interfering with opening and closing of the native heart valve leaflets. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A prosthesis comprising:
 a frame configured for positioning at or near a native heart valve annulus, shaped and sized to prevent the frame element from shifting downstream of the native heart annulus; and   at least two frame extensions attached to the frame at a first end proximal to the frame, the frame extensions configured and circumferentially arranged to extend between native heart valve leaflets,   wherein:   the frame is configured for positioning at or near said native heart valve annulus with minimal interfering with opening and closing of the native heart valve leaflets; and   the frame extensions are at least as long as the native heart leaflets, and are configured to extend between the native heart valve leaflets without interfering with opening and closing of the native heart valve leaflets.   
     
     
         2 . The prosthesis of  claim 1  in which the frame is configured for positioning over native heart valve leaflets. 
     
     
         3 . The prosthesis of  claim 1  in which the at least two frame extensions are attached to each other at a second end distal to the frame. 
     
     
         4 . The prosthesis of  claim 1  and further comprising at least two additional anchoring extensions attached to the frame at a first end proximal to the frame, the frame extensions configured and circumferentially arranged to:
 extend between the native heart valve leaflets at ends of commissures of the native heart valve between the native heart valve leaflets; and 
 extend outward from an axis of the native heart valve. 
 
     
     
         5 . The prosthesis of  claim 4  in which a distal end of the anchoring extensions further comprises hooks for attaching to side walls of a heart. 
     
     
         6 . The prosthesis of  claim 4  in which a distal end of the anchoring extensions further comprises eyelets configured to receive a delivery cable during placement of said prosthesis within a heart. 
     
     
         7 . The prosthesis of  claim 1  and further comprising an additional anchoring hook attached to the frame and configured for attaching to annulus of a heart valve. 
     
     
         8 . The prosthesis of  claim 1  and further comprising an additional commissure anchoring hook attached to the frame and configured and circumferentially arranged to extend between the native heart valve leaflets at ends of commissures of the native heart valve between the native heart valve leaflets and attach to an annulus of a heart valve. 
     
     
         9 . The prosthesis of  claim 1  in which the at least two frame extensions are exactly two frame extensions, and the frame extensions are configured and circumferentially arranged to extend between the mitral heart valve leaflets. 
     
     
         10 . The prosthesis of  claim 1  in which the at least two frame extensions are three frame extensions, and the frame three extensions are configured and circumferentially arranged to extend between tricuspid heart valve leaflets. 
     
     
         11 . The prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein a part of said frame is a D-shaped annulus element conforming to a shape of a mitral valve annulus. 
     
     
         12 . The prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein said frame is a stent adapted to expand radially to apply an anchoring force to a wall of an atrium. 
     
     
         13 . A method of supporting a heart valve prosthesis in a heart, the method comprising:
 providing a frame configured for positioning at or near a native heart valve annulus, shaped and sized to prevent the frame element from shifting downstream of the native heart annulus; the frame attached to at least two frame extensions, the frame extensions:   attached to the frame at a first end proximal to the frame;   are at least as long as native heart leaflets; and   are configured and circumferentially arranged to extend between the native heart valve leaflets without interfering with opening and closing of the native heart valve leaflets;   positioning the frame at or near said native heart valve annulus without interfering with opening and closing of the native heart valve leaflets; and   extending the frame extensions between the native heart valve leaflets with minimal interfering with opening and closing of the native heart valve leaflets.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  and further comprising positioning the frame over the native heart valve leaflets. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  and further comprising extending at least two additional anchoring extensions attached to the frame at a first end proximal to the frame, between the native heart valve leaflets at ends of commissures of the native heart valve between the native heart valve leaflets; and extending the anchoring extensions outward from an axis of the native heart valve. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  and further comprising anchoring hooks in a distal end of the anchoring extensions to side walls of a heart. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  and further attaching an additional anchoring hook attached to the frame to the annulus of a heart valve. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13  and further comprising extending an additional commissure anchoring hook attached to the frame and configured and circumferentially arranged to extend between the native heart valve leaflets at an end of commissures of the native heart valve between the native heart valve leaflets and attaching the commissure anchoring hook to an annulus of a heart valve. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13  in which the heart valve is a mitral heart valve. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13  in which the heart valve is a tricuspid heart valve.