Heart valve repair

Abstract

An example medical system includes a medical device configured to join the edges of the leaflets together, an elongate body configured to be navigated through vasculature to a heart valve of patient, and a plurality of tissue engagement devices extending from a distal end of the elongate body, each tissue engagement device comprising at least one clamp configured to capture leaflets of the heart valve.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A method comprising:
 delivering a catheter through the vasculature of a patient to a site of a native heart valve;   puncturing a first leaflet and a second leaflet of the native heart valve;   deploying a closure device through the first leaflet and the second leaflet to hold the first leaflet and the second leaflet together.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 disengaging the closure device from the catheter; and   withdrawing the catheter from the vasculature of the patient.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein delivering the catheter through the vasculature of the patient comprises delivering the catheter to a native mitral valve of the patient. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein delivering the catheter to the native mitral valve comprises delivering the catheter through an aorta of the patient and into a left ventricle of the patient near the native mitral valve. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein delivering the catheter to the native mitral valve comprises a transseptal approach to the native mitral valve. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 ,
 wherein the closure device comprises a first pad and a second pad,   wherein delivering the catheter to the native mitral valve comprises delivering the first pad and the second pad unconnected to each other, and   wherein deploying the closure device comprises coupling the first pad and the second pad together.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22 ,
 wherein the closure device comprises a first pad, a second pad, and a tether coupling the first pad to the second pad, and   wherein deploying the closure device comprises,
 deploying the first pad on a first side of the first leaflet opposite the second leaflet, and 
 deploying the second pad on a second side of the second leaflet opposite the first leaflet. 
   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 ,
 wherein puncturing the first leaflet and the second leaflet leaves openings through the first leaflet and the second leaflet, and   wherein deploying the closure device comprises the tether extending from the first pad to the second pad through the openings.   
     
     
         30 . A method comprising:
 delivering a catheter through the vasculature of a patient to a site of a native heart valve;   puncturing a first leaflet and a second leaflet of the native heart valve;   advancing the catheter through the first leaflet and the second leaflet such that a portion of the catheter is on a first side of the second leaflet opposite the first leaflet;   deploying a first pad of a closure device on the first side of the second leaflet;   retracting the catheter through the second leaflet and the first leaflet such that a second pad of the closure device is on a second side of the first leaflet opposite the second leaflet; and   deploying the second pad on the second side of the first leaflet, wherein the first pad and the second pad are coupled together to hold the first leaflet and the second leaflet together.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the first pad and the second pad are coupled together via a tether. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 releasing the closure device from the catheter; and   withdrawing the catheter from the vasculature of the patient.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the native heart valve is a mitral valve, the first leaflet is an anterior leaflet, the second leaflet is a posterior leaflet, the first side is a posterior side, and the second side is an anterior side. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein delivering the catheter to the site of the mitral valve comprises delivering the catheter through an aorta of the patient and into a left ventricle of the patient. 
     
     
         35 . A closure device for clamping leaflets of a native heart valve comprising:
 a first pad configured to be deployed on a first side of a first leaflet opposite a second leaflet;   a second pad configured to be deployed on a second side of the second leaflet opposite the first leaflet; and   a tether coupling the first pad and the second pad, the tether configured to extend through the first leaflet and the second leaflet.   
     
     
         36 . The closure device of  claim 35 , wherein the first pad and the second pad are unconnected prior to deployment at the native heart valve.