The present disclosure describes a surgical system for an aortic or mitral valve in a heart. The surgical system is configured to pierce, seize, and/or cut a leaflet, and/or facilitate removal of an excised portion of a leaflet.

The invention is a device, system, and method for repairing heart valve function, which may include bisecting native valve leaflets for improved deployment of a prosthetic heart valve in the native valve annulus. The invention may include a catheter having a cutting element shaft with a cutting element configured to puncture a valve leaflet and/or make a controlled cut through the leaflet. The device may have an extendable foot configured to be positioned on an opposite side of the valve leaflet from the cutting element shaft. The device may include magnets to guide the cutting element and/or cutting element shaft in proper alignment with the extendable foot and to hold the elements in place during leaflet bisection.

This document describes minimally invasive surgical instruments and methods for their use. For example, this document describes devices and methods for transcatheter modification of mitral valve leaflets to reduce or prevent the potential for full or partial blockages of the left ventricular outflow tract by anterior displacement of the anterior leaflet of the native mitral valve.

A plurality of catheter-based ablation apparatus embodiments are provided that address several areas of atrial target tissue and which feature firm and consistent ablation element to tissue contact enabling the creation of effective continuous lesions.

Disclosed is an electrically enabled introducer sheath, such as for crossing a septum into a left atrium and guiding a large bore catheter across the septum and into the left atrium. The sheath includes an elongate, flexible tubular body, having a proximal end, a distal end and an electrically conductive sidewall defining a central lumen. A tubular insulation layer surrounds the sidewall and leaves exposed an annular conductive surface at the distal end. The tubular body has a proximal hub, having at least one access port in communication with the central lumen and a connector in electrical communication with the conductive sidewall. The central lumen is configured to receive a radio frequency conducting wire, to facilitate crossing the septum.

A catheter system (100) for treating a treatment site (106) within or adjacent to a vessel wall (108) or heart valve includes a first light source (124), a plurality of light guides (122A), a multiplexer (128) and a multiplexer alignment system (142). The first light source (124) generates light energy. The plurality of light guides (122A) are each configured to alternatingly receive light energy from the first light source (124). Each light guide (122A) has a guide proximal end (122P). The multiplexer (128) receives the light energy from the first light source (124). The multiplexer (128) alternatingly directs the light energy from the first light source (124) to each of the plurality of light guides (122A). The multiplexer alignment system (142) is operatively coupled to the multiplexer (128). The multiplexer alignment system (142) includes a second light source (270) that generates a probe source beam (270A) that scans the guide proximal end (122P) of each of the plurality of light guides (122A).

A catheter system (100) for treating a treatment site (106) within or adjacent to a vessel wall (208A) or a heart valve within a body (107) of a patient (109) includes an energy source (124), a balloon (104), an energy guide (122A), and a tissue identification system (142). The energy source (124) generates energy. The balloon (104) is positionable substantially adjacent to the treatment site (106). The balloon (104) includes a balloon wall (130) that defines a balloon interior (146). The balloon (104) can be configured to retain a balloon fluid (132) within the balloon interior (146). The energy guide (122A) is configured to receive energy from the energy source (124) and guide the energy into the balloon interior (146) so that plasma bubbles (134) are formed in the balloon fluid (132) within the balloon interior (146). The tissue identification system (142) can be configured to acoustically analyze tissue within the treatment site (106).

A system configured to detach an interventional implant from a cardiac valve includes a guide catheter and a capture mechanism routable through the guide catheter. The capture mechanism comprises a capture hypotube with a container portion/space configured to receive an interventional implant connected to cardiac valve tissue. The capture mechanism also includes a cutting arm axially moveable relative to the capture hypotube. The capture hypotube and the cutting arm each include cutting elements that are brought together upon actuation of the cutting arm to thereby cut the cardiac valve tissue surrounding the interventional implant to free the implant from the cardiac valve.

A system configured to cut leaflet tissue at a cardiac valve may comprise a guide catheter and a cutting mechanism routable through the guide catheter. The cutting mechanism includes a cutting arm and a plurality of grasping arms rotatably coupled to the cutting arm. The grasping arms are connected to the cutting arm via a central hinge and are actuatable between a closed position against the cutting arm and an open position where the grasping arms extend laterally away from the cutting arm by rotating about the hinge. Targeted cardiac leaflet tissue may be grasped between the cutting arm and the grasping arms and cut by a cutting element that is attached to or extends through the cutting arm.

A system for cutting leaflet tissue at a cardiac valve may comprise a guide catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end of the guide catheter is steerable to a position above a cardiac valve. The system may also include a handle coupled to the proximal end of the guide catheter, the handle comprising at least one control configured to steer the guide catheter to the position above the cardiac valve. Finally, the system may comprise a cutting mechanism routable through the guide catheter and able to be positioned at the distal end of the guide catheter, the cutting mechanism configured to cut a portion of leaflet tissue of the cardiac valve.