Described herein are implant loading and delivery systems for treating heart failure. An implant loading system may include a funnel having a flared first end and a second end, such that the flared first end is configured for receiving and collapsing the expandable implant, and a sleeve removably coupled to the second end of the funnel and configured to transfer the expandable implant to a guide catheter. The expandable device may have a foot for contacting a first interior wall portion of a heart, a support frame including a plurality of radially expandable struts, and a membrane coupled to the support frame. The expandable device may be coupled to a delivery catheter. An expansion member coupled to a distal end of the delivery catheter may apply pressure to the support frame of the expandable device to move the expandable device from a collapsed configuration to an expanded deployed configuration.

A system includes an inflow loading assembly configured to compress an inflow portion of the implantable medical device as the implantable medical device is advanced through the inflow loading assembly. The system also includes an outflow loading assembly removably coupled to the inflow loading assembly. The outflow loading assembly is configured to partially compress an outflow portion of the implantable medical device during coupling to the inflow loading assembly. The inflow loading assembly includes one or more biasing features that are configured to asymmetrically compress the inflow portion of the implantable medical device.

A prosthetic heart valve includes a support frame and a plurality of leaflets disposed inside the support frame. The support frame extends between an inflow end and an outflow end and includes a leaflet frame and a plurality of positioning members coupled to the leaflet frame. The leaflet frame has an undulating shape at the outflow end of the support frame and includes a plurality of commissure regions spaced apart from each other. The positioning members are disposed between the commissure regions of the leaflet frame and extend radially outwardly relative to the leaflet frame. The positioning members are configured to contact native tissue and anchor the support frame relative to the native tissue. The leaflets are coupled to the commissure regions of the leaflet frame. The leaflets are configured to allow flow in a first direction and to substantially block flow in an opposite direction.

Loading systems for prosthetic heart valve devices are disclosed. A loading funnel is provided within a watertight interior space that is at least partially filled or fillable with biocompatible fluid. Funnel may have a cylindrical end to which is connected a delivery catheter having a lumen that will receive the collapsed prosthetic heart valve device. An expanded prosthetic heart valve device may be placed within the funnel and pushed or pulled into the funnel which provides a predictable, reliable and repeatable surface for collapsing the prosthetic heart valve device. Ultimately the prosthetic heart valve device is collapsed and translated into the lumen of the delivery catheter for further translation therealong and release into the heart chamber of interest.

A first endoluminal prosthesis coupled to an inner catheter and a dilator tip is delivered to the body vessel via a guidewire and a delivery sheath in a conventional manner. After deployment of the first endoluminal prosthesis at the target site, the dilator and catheter are retracted from the body, leaving the delivery sheath in place. A second endoluminal prosthesis is housed within a peel-away sheath without a catheter or dilator tip, and is mated to the delivery sheath outside the patient. The second prosthesis is advanced from the peel-away sheath into the delivery sheath without the use of a dilator tip or catheter. As the second prosthesis is advanced into the delivery sheath from the peel-away sheath, the peel-away sheath is peeled away. The second prosthesis is advanced through the delivery sheath and delivered into an overlapping engagement with the first prosthesis.

The present invention relates to a heart valve prosthesis loading device and a method for loading a heart valve prosthesis onto a delivery system.

A loading device configured to radially collapse an expandable medical implant may include an operating handle having an opening therein extending along a longitudinal axis, a native sheath coupled to the operating handle and partially extending into the opening, such that the native sheath is configured to translate relative to the operating handle parallel to the longitudinal axis, a removable sheath removably coupled to the native sheath, an actuation rod extending parallel to the longitudinal axis at least partially through the opening, a lumen of the native sheath, and a lumen of the removable sheath, a distal end of the actuation rod being configured to be removably coupled to the expandable medical implant, and a first control element movable relative to the operating handle and coupled to the native sheath, the first control element being configured to translate the native sheath and the removable sheath relative to the operating handle.

A valve loading system that uses a valve loader to transfer a valve or other medical device from a storage cartridge into a deployment catheter. The valve or other medical device can be implanted or positioned within a patient using the catheter after the valve or other medical device has been compressed and loaded into the catheter using the valve loader. The process then can be repeated by using the valve loading system to load or introduce another valve or other medical device into the catheter. The valve loading system includes a loading pin sized to limit contact with the medical device during a loading procedure.

A loading device configured to radially collapse an expandable medical implant may include an operating handle having an opening therein extending along a longitudinal axis, a native sheath coupled to the operating handle and partially extending into the opening, such that the native sheath is configured to translate relative to the operating handle parallel to the longitudinal axis, a removable sheath removably coupled to the native sheath, an actuation rod extending parallel to the longitudinal axis at least partially through the opening, a lumen of the native sheath, and a lumen of the removable sheath, a distal end of the actuation rod being configured to be removably coupled to the expandable medical implant, and a first control element movable relative to the operating handle and coupled to the native sheath, the first control element being configured to translate the native sheath and the removable sheath relative to the operating handle.

Methods of compressing a stented prosthetic heart valve are disclosed. The method including inserting a stented prosthetic heart valve having a self-expandable stent frame into a container, initiating a cooling element in the container, transferring heat through a thermal conductor to cool an interior of the container, reducing a temperature of the self-expandable stent frame while located within the container to a critical temperature of not greater than 8° C., and compressing an outer diameter of the stented prosthetic heart valve while the stented prosthetic heart valve is at the critical temperature.