A device for implanting a heart prosthesis including a central body, a containment portion having one or more sub-components, and a release device for the central body capable of being inserted into a catheter. A device for assisting the connection operation between the central body and the sub-components of the containment portion includes an assembly of catheters, of which there are at least two catheters for each sub-component of the containment portion, the catheters being joined to each other over a portion thereof and having at least one free end for each catheter.

A biased cell configured to flex out-of-plane upon application of a lateral or circumferential force applied to the biased cell, the biased cell having an elongate member projecting axially from an apex of the biased cell that flexes out-of-plane concomitantly with out-of-plane flexion of the biased cell. An integral and monolithic hypotube is fashioned into a lattice structure having a plurality of biased cells and elongate members and is capable of being configured into a cardiac valve. Transluminally implantable cardiac valves configured for use in cardiac valve replacement and/or cardiac valve exclusion that are capable of percutaneous delivery on low-profile catheters having 15 French size or less. The implantable cardiac valves are fabricated of from a unitary metal material to form a lattice frame support having a main body portion and valve leaflet portion, and a plurality of elongate biasing arm members. A polymer coating or covering is disposed on the valve leaflet portion and the elongate biasing arm members and subtends space between adjacent pairs of elongate biasing arm members to form valve leaflet cusps that are biased toward a central axis of the cardiac valve by the elongate biasing arm members.

A transluminal sheath is advanced transseptally into a left atrium of the subject. A distal end of a surrounding-sheath, having an anchor disposed therein, is advanced via a distal end of the transluminal sheath, into a left ventricle of the subject via a commissure of the mitral valve. While the distal end of the surrounding-sheath is in the left ventricle, the surrounding-sheath is pulled proximally with respect to the anchor to expose the anchor. While the distal end of the surrounding-sheath is in the left ventricle, mitral valve tissue that is within the left ventricle is encircled by helically wrapping the anchor around the mitral valve tissue. Subsequently, the surrounding-sheath is extracted from the heart. Other embodiments are also described.

The present invention provides systems and methods for deploying implantable devices within the body. The delivery and deployment systems include at least one catheter or an assembly of catheters for selectively positioning the lumens of the implant to within target vessels. Various deployment and attachment mechanisms are provided for selectively deploying the implants.

A method of delivering a prosthetic mitral valve includes delivering a distal anchor from a delivery sheath such that the distal anchor self-expands inside a first heart chamber on a first side of the mitral valve annulus, pulling proximally on the distal anchor such that the distal anchor self-aligns within the mitral valve annulus and the distal anchor rests against tissue of the ventricular heart chamber, and delivering a proximal anchor from the delivery sheath to a second heart chamber on a second side of the mitral valve annulus such that the proximal anchor self-expands and moves towards the distal anchor to rest against tissue of the second heart chamber. The self-expansion of the proximal anchor captures tissue of the mitral valve annulus therebetween.

Disclosed herein is a method of crimping a prosthetic heart valve using a compact crimping mechanism. The crimping mechanism includes a plurality of jaws configured for coordinated inward movement toward a crimping axis to reduce the size of a crimping iris around a stented valve. A rotating cam wheel acts on the jaws and displaces them inward. A number of Cartesian guide elements cooperate with the jaws to distribute forces within the crimping mechanism. The guide elements are located between the crimping jaws and an outer housing and are constrained by the outer housing for movement along lines that are tangential to a circle centered on the crimping axis. The guide elements engage at least some of the crimping jaws while the rest are in meshing engagement so as to move in synch. An actuation mechanism includes a lead screw, carriage assembly and a linkage to rotate the cam wheel with significant torque.

Some embodiments described herein include a heart valve replacement system that may be delivered to a targeted native heart valve site via one or more delivery catheters. In some embodiments, a prosthetic heart valve of the system includes structural features that securely anchor the prosthetic heart valve to the site of the native heart valve. Such structural features can provide robust migration resistance. In particular implementations, the prosthetic heart valves occupy a smaller delivery profile, thereby facilitating a smaller delivery catheter for advancement to the heart.

The invention relates to an endoprosthesis (1), in particular a vascular stent or a heart stent, comprising at least one body (3) part. At least one area (5,6) of an outer surface, preferably the whole outer surface, of the at least one body part (3) is provided with thrombogenic fibers (2). The invention further relates to methods of manufacturing endoprostheses (1).

A heart valve includes a valve body made of a flexible material such as pericardium. The valve body is made of two layers of material, an outer layer, and an inner layer that defines a plurality of leaflets. The leaflets of the inner layer are attached to the outer layer. In some embodiments the valve body is made by cutting a single piece of flat source tissue, folding the cut tissue and forming it into a tubular pattern having the inner and outer layers. The multi-layer valve body can be mounted on a stent for delivery within a patient's heart.

A prosthesis retaining assembly for securing an implantable prosthesis to a catheter assembly can include a first member including a prosthesis retaining slot configured to retain a portion of the prosthesis. The retaining slot can have a first portion with a first width and a second portion with a second width. The first portion can be distal to the second portion. The second width can be larger than the first width, and the retaining slot can have an opening at a first surface of the first member. The prosthesis retaining assembly can also include a second member configured to be move relative to the first member. The second member can be configured to move to a position that obstructs a portion of the opening of the retaining slot.