A brace for mounting to an annulus of a cardiac valve, the brace comprising: first and second bottom gripping wings for gripping the annulus; first and second top gripping wings for gripping the annulus; and a support bridge that connects the top wings to the bottom wings; wherein the brace is deformable from a delivery configuration to a deployed configuration and in the delivery configuration the top wings are oriented substantially back to back along an axis and the bottom wings are oriented substantially back to back along the same axis, and in the deployed configuration the first top and bottom gripping wings face each other to grip the annulus between them and the second top and bottom gripping wings face each other to grip the annulus between them.

A linking member extends from a first linking site of a longitudinal member to a second linking site of the longitudinal member. An anchor driver is configured to anchor portions of the longitudinal member to tissue using tissue anchors. A distal portion is anchorable to a first tissue location while the first linking site is within a catheter. While the distal portion is anchored to the first location, and the second linking site is within the catheter, a second portion is advanceable distally out of the catheter and is anchorable to a second tissue location. While the second portion is anchored to the second location, the second linking site and a third portion are advanceable distally out of the catheter. After the second linking site has been advanced out of the catheter, the third portion is anchorable to a third tissue location. Other embodiments are also described.

In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a tissue shaping device adapted to be disposed in a vessel near a patient's heart to reshape the patient's heart. Such tissue shaping device can include an expandable proximal anchor; a proximal anchor lock adapted to lock the proximal anchor in an expanded configuration; an expandable distal anchor; a distal anchor lock adapted to lock the distal anchor in an expanded configuration; and a connector disposed between the proximal anchor and the distal anchor, the connector having a substantially non-circular cross-section.

Devices and methods are disclosed for the treatment or repair of regurgitant cardiac valves, such as a mitral valve. An illustrative annuloplasty device can be placed in the coronary sinus to reshape the mitral valve and reduce mitral valve regurgitation. The disclosure also provides improved techniques for cardiac pacing.

A system for reshaping a valve annulus includes an elongate template having a length along a longitudinal axis and at least one concavity in a generally lateral direction along said length. The pre-shaped template is positioned against at least a region of an inner peripheral wall of the valve annulus, and at least one anchor on the template is advanced into a lateral wall of the valve annulus to reposition at least one segment of the region of the inner peripheral wall of the valve annulus into said concavity. In this way, a peripheral length of the valve annulus can be foreshortened and/or reshaped to improve coaption of the valve leaflets and/or to eliminate or decrease regurgitation of a valve.

The invention relates to a device for use in the transcatheter treatment of mitral valve regurgitation, specifically a coaptation assistance element for implantation across the valve; a system including the coaptation assistance element and anchors for implantation; a system including the coaptation assistance element and delivery catheter; and a method for transcatheter implantation of a coaptation element across a heart valve.

The present invention relates to a device for transcatheter treatment for tricuspid regurgitation and, more particularly, to a device for patients suffering from tricuspid regurgitation. The device for transcatheter treatment for tricuspid regurgitation according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes: a hollow coronary sinus tube (22) for engaging into coronary sinus tissue; and a hollow tricuspid valve tube (24) for crossing over tricuspid valve tissue and anchoring at interventricular septum tissue, wherein the coronary sinus tube and the tricuspid valve tube are laterally coupled with each other from upper portions thereof by a predetermined length, and lower portions thereof are separated from each other; and the lower portion of the tricuspid valve tube (24) is provided with a blocking part (30) for blocking a space resulting from incomplete closure of the tricuspid valve.

A heart valve therapeutic device (1) has an elongate anchor (7) wherein the anchor has a stiffness to hold its shape and location to support the valve element. The anchor may have a stylet or a shaped or stiff collar (70) arranged to provide a desired shape to the anchor (7) and it may be lockable. A prosthetic valve element (15) has leaflets (17) and is supported on the anchor by coupler (16, 50) at a desired location. There is an actuator for changing relative axial position of the proximal and distal couplers (16, 50) on the anchor. The anchor stiffness may be sufficient to provide sufficient support to resist axial forces from the ventricle in use without necessarily having a fixing element engaging heart tissue. The prosthetic leaflets (240) may extend proximally and radially outwardly, so that there is excellent co-apting of the native leaflets (NL) against the prosthetic leaflets (240).

A first part of an annuloplasty structure is anchored to an annulus of a valve of a heart by using a driver to screw a tissue-coupling element of a first anchor into a first site of the annulus, such that the tissue-coupling element enters cardiac tissue in a direction parallel to a central longitudinal axis of the driver through the distal end of the anchor driver. The same is subsequently done for second and third parts of the annuloplasty structure using second and third anchors at second and third sites of the annulus, mutatis mutandis. Between anchors, the driver is retracted out of the heart. Subsequently, the valve is treated by reducing a distance between the first site and the second site, and a distance between the second site and the third site, by tightening a flexible and elongate contracting member of the annuloplasty structure.

Devices and methods are disclosed for the treatment or repair of regurgitant cardiac valves, such as a mitral valve. An illustrative annuloplasty device can be placed in the coronary sinus to reshape the mitral valve and reduce mitral valve regurgitation. The disclosure also provides improved techniques for cardiac pacing.