Apparatus for use in repairing mitral valves and method of use thereof

Abstract

Apparatus for repairing a heart valve and methods for implanting anchors and repairing a heart valve are provided. The apparatus comprises a body, a member attached to the body at a first end and having a plurality of positioning cords spaced laterally across the member and extending away from a second end of the member opposed to the first end, a tube suspended from the plurality of positioning cords, and an adjustment cord extending through the tube. The method comprises implanting at least one annular anchor in a mitral annulus of the heart valve, implanting a papillary anchor through each papillary muscle of the heart, delivering and positioning an apparatus for repairing a heart valve inside the heart valve using the at least one annular anchor and the papillary anchors, and adjusting the apparatus to adjust the extent of atrial displacement of the heart's mitral leaflets during ventricular contraction.

1 . An apparatus for repairing a heart valve, the apparatus comprising:
 a body;   a member attached to the body at a first end and having a plurality of positioning cords spaced laterally across the member and extending away from a second end of the member opposed to the first end;   a tube suspended from the plurality of positioning cords, wherein the plurality of positioning cords is spaced laterally across the tube; and   an adjustment cord extending through the tube, wherein the tube may be lengthened or shortened by tensioning the adjustment cord.   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein tensioning the adjustment cord lengthens or shortens the tube consequently displacing the tube towards or away from the body causing corresponding displacement of the member. 
     
     
         3 . An apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the length of each positioning cord is selected to suspend the tube from the member in a parabolic or parabolic-like shape. 
     
     
         4 . An apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein lengthening the tube consequently displaces a vertex of the parabolic or parabolic-like shaped tube towards the body, and shortening the tube consequently displaces a vertex of the parabolic or parabolic-like shaped tube away from the body. 
     
     
         5 .- 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a plurality of peaks and a plurality of troughs, the peaks and troughs defined interchangeably along the diameter of the body, and wherein the body comprises a plurality of ring members, each ring member positioned on a corresponding peak. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus according to  claim 7 , further comprising an encircling member connectable to the body for radially compressing and/or radially expanding the body, wherein the encircling member passes through the plurality of ring members. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a skirt, and wherein the skirt defines at least one anchoring site. 
     
     
         11 .- 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to extend from an atrial wall and a mitral annulus to an anterior-lateral papillary muscle and a posterior-medial papillary muscle of the heart valve when the apparatus is implanted in the heart valve. 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the member comprises one or both of an anterior member attached to an anterior end of the body configured to cover an anterior mitral leaflet of the heart valve when the apparatus is implanted in the heart valve, and a posterior member attached to a posterior end of the body configured cover a posterior mitral leaflet of the heart valve when the apparatus is implanted in the heart valve. 
     
     
         15 .- 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . An anchor comprising:
 an anchor pin;   a tether connected to the anchor pin; and   a guidewire connected to the tether,   
       wherein the length of the guidewire is at least sufficient to traverse a patient's circulatory system from a mitral annulus or from a papillary muscle to an access site of the patient's circulatory system. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The anchor according to  claim 19 , wherein the anchor pin comprises a shape-memory material and wherein the anchor pin comprises a deformed configuration for advancing the anchor through a patient's circulatory system within a catheter, and a pre-deformed configuration for anchoring the anchor in an annular tissue or for securing the anchor through a papillary muscle of a heart. 
     
     
         22 .- 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . A papillary anchor catheter comprising:
 a body configured to house a papillary anchor; and   a deformable arm extending away from the body.   
     
     
         41 . A papillary anchor catheter according to  claim 40 , wherein the body comprises a needle for housing the papillary anchor and advancing the papillary anchor through a papillary muscle. 
     
     
         42 .- 45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . A papillary anchor catheter comprising:
 a body;   a deformable arm extending from the body; and   an anchor housing extending through the body and the arm, wherein the anchor housing is configured to house a papillary anchor.   
     
     
         47 .- 49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . A papillary anchor catheter according to  claim 46 , wherein the arm comprises a first deformable section deformable in a first plane and a second deformable section deformable in a second plane. 
     
     
         51 .- 84 . (canceled) 
     
     
         85 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the member comprises a net-like structure, the net-like structure being defined by a plurality of cells, the plurality of cells extend radially and longitudinally from the body to the positioning cords. 
     
     
         86 . An apparatus according to  claim 85 , wherein the plurality of cells has a diamond shape, and wherein the diamond-shaped cells are contractable between a relaxed position and an elongated position. 
     
     
         87 . An apparatus according to  claim 85 , wherein the plurality of cells has a square or rectangular shape. 
     
     
         88 . (canceled) 
     
     
         89 . An apparatus according to  claim 86 , wherein the diamond-shaped cells are uniform in shape and size in the relaxed position, and heterogeneous in shape and size in the elongated position. 
     
     
         90 . (canceled) 
     
     
         91 . An apparatus according to  claim 89 , wherein the diamond-shaped cells each comprises a first diagonal length extending between longitudinally opposing vertices, and a second diagonal length extending between laterally opposing vertices, the diamond-shaped cells positioned near the body have greater first longitudinal lengths than the diamond-shaped cells positioned near the positioning cords, and the diamond-shaped cells positioned near the positioning cords have greater second longitudinal lengths than the diamond-shaped cells positioned near the body. 
     
     
         92 . (canceled)