Heart valve sealing devices and delivery devices therefor

Abstract

An exemplary valve repair system for repairing a native valve of a patient during a non-open-heart procedure has a delivery device and a valve repair device. The valve repair device is configured to be delivered through a lumen of the delivery device and to attach to a native valve of a patient. The valve repair device has first and second paddles and first and second gripping members. The first and second paddles are movable between an open position and a closed position. The first gripping member is attached to the first paddle and the second gripping member is attached to the second paddle. The gripping members are configured to attach to the native valve of the patient. A gripper control mechanism is configured to separately move the first and second gripping members.

1 . A valve repair system for repairing a native valve of a patient during a non-open-heart procedure, the valve repair system comprising:
 a delivery device having at least one lumen; and   a valve repair device configured to be delivered through the lumen of the delivery device, and configured to attach to a native valve of a patient, the valve repair device comprising:
 a first paddle and a second paddle, wherein the first and second paddles are movable between an open position and a closed position; 
 a first gripping member attached to the first paddle and a second gripping member attached to the second paddle, wherein the gripping members are configured to attach to the native valve of the patient; and 
 a gripper control mechanism configured to separately move the first and second gripping members. 
   
     
     
         2 . The valve repair system of  claim 1  wherein the paddles comprise an inner paddle portion and an outer paddle portion. 
     
     
         3 . The valve repair system of  claim 1  wherein the paddles comprise a flexible mesh material. 
     
     
         4 . The valve repair system of  claim 1  wherein the paddles comprise a flexible mesh material disposed over an extension member. 
     
     
         5 . The valve repair system of  claim 4 , wherein the extension member has a round three-dimensional shape and an inner portion of the flexible mesh material is disposed on a first side of the extension member and an outer portion of the flexible mesh material is disposed on a second side of the extension member. 
     
     
         6 . The valve repair system of  claim 1  further comprising a base assembly that comprises:
 a shaft; 
 a collar that the shaft extends through; and 
 a cap attached to the shaft such that the cap can be moved by the shaft away from the collar; 
 wherein the pair of paddles are attached to the cap; and 
 wherein movement of the cap toward the collar causes the pair of paddles to move to the closed position, and movement of the cap away from the collar causes the pair of paddles to move to the open position. 
 
     
     
         7 . The valve repair system of  claim 1  wherein each of the first and second gripping members comprise a barbed portion for attaching the first and second gripping members to the native valve of a patient. 
     
     
         8 . The valve repair system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the gripper control mechanism comprises a first gripper control configured to move the first gripping member and a second gripper control configured to move the second gripping member. 
     
     
         9 . The valve repair system according to  claim 8 , wherein the first gripper control comprises a first wire that is removably attached to the first gripping member, and the second gripper control comprises a second wire removably attached to the second gripping member. 
     
     
         10 . The valve repair system of  claim 1  wherein the gripper control mechanism comprises a first gripper control having a first catheter that is configured to move the first gripping member, and wherein the gripper control mechanism comprises a second gripper control having a second catheter configured to move the second gripping member. 
     
     
         11 . The valve repair system of  claim 1  wherein the gripper control mechanism comprises a first gripper control that includes a wire having a hoop that is configured to move the first gripping member, and wherein the gripper control mechanism comprises a second gripper control that includes a wire having a hoop that is configured to move the second gripping member. 
     
     
         12 . The valve repair system of  claim 1  wherein the valve repair device further comprises a coaption element connected to the first paddle, the second paddle, and the collar, wherein the coaption element is configured to close a gap in the native valve of the patient when the valve repair device is attached to the native valve. 
     
     
         13 . The valve repair system according to  claim 2 , wherein the valve repair device is configured to move to a bailout position by moving the cap away from the collar past the open position, wherein, when the valve repair device is in the bailout position, the inner and outer paddle portions are flexed to a substantially straight position. 
     
     
         14 . The valve repair system of  claim 1  wherein the paddles comprise a latch member for attaching the paddles to a corresponding gripping member of the first and second gripping members when the paddles are in the closed position. 
     
     
         15 . The valve repair system of  claim 2  wherein the extension member biases paddles to a closed position when the valve repair device is removed from the valve repair system. 
     
     
         16 . The valve repair system of  claim 1  wherein each of the first and second gripping members comprise a barbed portion for attaching the first and second gripping members to the native valve of a patient, and wherein the barbed portion for each of the first and second gripping members has only a single row of barbs. 
     
     
         17 . The valve repair system of  claim 1  wherein each of the first and second gripping members are extendable in length to prevent tearing of the native valve of the patient when the first and second gripping members are removed from the native valve. 
     
     
         18 . The valve repair system of  claim 1  wherein the first and second gripping members are connected to each other by a biasing member that is configured to maintain the first and second gripping members in a desired position. 
     
     
         19 . A method of repairing a native valve of a patient during a non-open-heart procedure, the method comprising:
 moving a first gripping member from an open position to a closed position to grasp a first valve leaflet; and   moving a second gripping member from the open position to the closed position while the first gripping member is in the closed position to grasp a second valve leaflet.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising moving first and second paddles from an open position to a closed position to press the first and second leaflets against a coaption element.