Method for crimping a prosthetic valve

Abstract

A method of crimping a prosthetic valve on a delivery catheter having an inflatable balloon includes releasably attaching a holding mechanism to a shaft of the delivery catheter, wherein the holding mechanism is connected to a crimping device, positioning the prosthetic valve in the crimping device, actuating the crimping device to radially crimp the prosthetic valve onto the balloon or onto the shaft of the delivery catheter at a location adjacent the balloon, and removing the holding mechanism from the delivery catheter after crimping the prosthetic valve.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of crimping a prosthetic valve on a delivery catheter having an inflatable balloon, the method comprising:
 releasably attaching a holding mechanism to a shaft of the delivery catheter, wherein the holding mechanism is connected to a crimping device;   positioning the prosthetic valve in the crimping device;   actuating the crimping device to radially crimp the prosthetic valve onto the balloon or onto the shaft of the delivery catheter at a location adjacent the balloon; and   removing the holding mechanism from the delivery catheter after crimping the prosthetic valve.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the holding mechanism is at a location proximal to the balloon when the holding mechanism is releasably attached to the shaft. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the holding mechanism is configured to clamp onto an outer surface of the shaft of the delivery catheter. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the holding mechanism comprises clamping jaws configured to clamp onto the outer surface of the shaft of the delivery catheter. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein removing the holding mechanism from the delivery catheter comprises pivoting clamping jaws away from the outer surface of the shaft. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the prosthetic valve is crimped onto the balloon. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the prosthetic valve is crimped onto the shaft of the delivery apparatus. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the prosthetic valve is plastically expandable. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein actuating the crimping device comprises rotating a knob of the crimping device while the prosthetic valve is inside of the crimping device. 
     
     
         10 . A method of crimping a prosthetic valve on a delivery catheter having an inflatable balloon, the method comprising:
 releasably attaching a holding mechanism to a shaft of the delivery catheter, wherein the holding mechanism is connected to a crimping device;   positioning the prosthetic valve in the crimping device and around the balloon;   actuating the crimping device to radially crimp the prosthetic valve from a radially expanded state to a radially compressed on the balloon; and   removing the holding mechanism from the delivery catheter.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the holding mechanism is at a location proximal to the balloon when the holding mechanism is releasably attached to the shaft. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the holding mechanism is configured to clamp onto an outer surface of the shaft of the delivery catheter. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the holding mechanism comprises clamping jaws configured to clamp onto the outer surface of the shaft of the delivery catheter. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein removing the holding mechanism from the delivery catheter comprises pivoting clamping jaws away from the outer surface of the shaft. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the prosthetic valve is plastically expandable. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein actuating the crimping device comprises rotating a knob of a crimping device while the prosthetic valve is inside of the crimping device. 
     
     
         17 . A method of crimping a prosthetic valve on a delivery catheter having an inflatable balloon, the method comprising:
 positioning the prosthetic valve within a crimping device and around the balloon of the delivery catheter, wherein the crimping device is connected to a holding mechanism that is clamped onto an outer surface of a shaft of the delivery catheter at a location proximal to the balloon;   actuating the crimping device to radially crimp the prosthetic valve from a radially expanded state to a radially compressed onto the balloon; and   removing the holding mechanism from the delivery catheter.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein actuating the crimping device comprises rotating a knob of a crimping device while the prosthetic valve is inside of the crimping device. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein removing the holding mechanism from the delivery catheter comprises moving clamping members of the holding mechanism away from the outer surface of the shaft of the delivery catheter.