A delivery tool including a shaft and a proximal capsule and a distal capsule is dimensioned for percutaneous delivery to the heart. An open end of the proximal capsule faces the open end of the distal capsule. The capsules are coupled to the shaft in a manner that allows axial movement of the capsule with respect to the shaft. A prosthetic heart valve includes a tubular portion that defines a lumen and prosthetic leaflets disposed within the lumen. The prosthetic heart valve is restrainable in a compressed state by the delivery tool, such that a downstream end of the tubular portion is disposed within the distal capsule. The distal capsule is shaped so as to define an opening for visualizing ensheathing of at least a portion of the downstream end of the tubular portion within the distal capsule. Other embodiments are also described.

A radial compression mechanism incorporates a plurality of compression die assemblies arranged radially about and forming a central cylindrical cavity. The die assemblies are coupled to a cam plate by a cam bearing retained in cam guide slots in the cam plate. The cam plate is configured to rotate about the central axis of the central cylindrical cavity and thereby rotate the plurality of compression dies about the central axis. The plurality of dies are constrained by a stationary guide slot configured in the housing of the radial compression mechanism and this stationary guide slot forces the compression dies to move radially inward to close the cylindrical cavity. Therefore, the compression dies both rotate about the central cylindrical cavity and move radially inward to close the cylindrical cavity. This arrangement and die displacement mechanism reduces the size or area required by the dies. Therefore the mechanism can be made smaller.

A radial compression mechanism utilizes a string wrapped around a plurality of compression dies to move the dies inward and close a central cylindrical cavity defined by the working surfaces of the dies. The string may be coupled to a string tension mechanism that enables a user to applied a desired tension to the string and thereby compress an article within the central cylindrical cavity. The compression dies may be coupled to a base and move along die-guiding slots from an open position to a closed position. A spring may be configured to force the compression dies open and provide some back-tension to the string. The string may extend around a pully on an opposing side of the compression mechanism and both ends of the string may be coupled to the string tension mechanism.

A process for arranging a stent, especially a drug-coated stent, on a balloon of a balloon catheter. At a stent implantation site (e.g., during an angioplasty procedure), the balloon of the balloon catheter serves to expand the stent radially, so that the stent, e.g., opens a vascular stenosis and is securely fixed to the vessel wall. Pressure plates are arranged and operate to maintain a protection device that avoids contamination of the stent.

A process for repositioning a drug-coated stent that is pre-crimped on a balloon of a balloon catheter extending in an axial direction so that an inner surface of the stent lies against an outer surface of the balloon. The stent is gripped with at least one contact element and a protection device between the stent and the at least one contact element to prevent contact between the stent and the at least one contact element. The stent is moved with the at least one contact element in the axial direction with respect to the balloon of the balloon catheter to reposition the stent with respect to the balloon.

An implantable prosthetic valve includes an annular metallic frame and a valve assembly supported within the frame. The annular support frame is constructed with three longitudinal support beams of fixed length and web-like constructions that extend between and connect the support beams. The support beams are spaced apart in a substantially equidistant manner. The web-like constructions allow the annular support frame to be radially collapsible and expandable. Each support beam preferably has a column of pre-formed openings or bores extending along a length of the support beam. The valve assembly includes three valve leaflets, wherein each leaflet has opposing side portions and each side portion is paired with an adjacent side portion of an adjacent leaflet to form a commissure. The three commissures are secured to three respective support beams with stitching that extends through the leaflets and through the pre-formed openings or bores.

A method is provided for implanting a valve having at least one valve leaflet within the cardiovascular system of a subject. One step of the method includes preparing a substantially dehydrated bioprosthetic valve and then providing an expandable support member having oppositely disposed first and second ends and a main body portion extending between the ends. Next, the substantially dehydrated bioprosthetic valve is attached to the expandable support member so that the substantially dehydrated bioprosthetic valve is operably secured within the main body portion of the expandable support member. The expandable support member is then crimped into a compressed configuration and placed at a desired location within the cardiovascular system of the subject. Either before or after placement at the desired location, fluid or blood re-hydrates the substantially dehydrated bioprosthetic valve.

An assembly including a transcatheter valve prosthesis and a leaflet folding accessory configured for use when compressing the transcatheter valve prosthesis into the crimped configuration. The transcatheter valve prosthesis includes a frame and a prosthetic valve component including at least one leaflet disposed within and secured to the frame. The leaflet folding accessory includes a plurality of guide fingers. A leaflet contact portion of each guide finger is configured to be disposed radially within the frame and contact an inner surface of a leaflet of the at least one leaflet. During crimping of the transcatheter valve prosthesis, the plurality of guide fingers remain disposed radially within the frame such that the at least one leaflet preferentially folds around the plurality of guide fingers.

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. An actuation mechanism includes a lead screw, carriage assembly and a linkage to rotate the cam wheel with significant torque.

A medical device includes a scaffold crimped to a catheter having an expansion balloon. The scaffold is crimped to the balloon by a process that includes inflating the delivery balloon during a diameter reduction to improve scaffold retention and maintaining an inflated balloon during the diameter reduction and prior and subsequent dwell periods.