Ringless web for repair of heart valves

Abstract

A ringless web is configured to repair heart valve function in patients suffering from degenerative mitral valve regurgitation (DMR) or functional mitral valve regurgitation (FMR). In accordance with various embodiments, a ringless web can be anchored at one or more locations below the valve plane in the ventricle, such as at a papillary muscle, and one or more locations above the valve plane, such as in the valve annulus. A tensioning mechanism connecting the ringless web to one or more of the anchors can be used to adjust a tension of the web such that web restrains the leaflet to prevent prolapse by restricting leaflet motion to the coaptation zone and/or promotes natural coaptation of the valve leaflets.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A method of repairing a heart valve in a beating heart of a patient, comprising:
 intravascularly accessing an interior of a beating heart of a patient;   inserting a suture adjacent into a valve leaflet of a mitral valve of the heart;   attaching a ventricular anchor to the suture;   inserting the ventricular anchor into heart tissue in a left ventricle of the heart;   adjusting a tension on the suture to promote coaptation of the valve leaflet; and   securing the suture at the tension.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the anchor includes an anchor coil and an anchor head. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein inserting the ventricular anchor into heart tissue includes rotating the anchor to embed the anchor coil in the heart tissue. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein attaching the ventricular anchor to the suture includes attaching the suture to the anchor head. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein adjusting a tension on the suture includes sliding the suture through the anchor head. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein inserting the ventricular anchor into heart tissue in the left ventricle of the heart includes inserting the ventricular anchor into a papillary muscle in the left ventricle.