A method of assisting a heart for the operation of a ventricular assist device comprising the steps of implanting a cannula to the heart and deploying a stent within a left ventricle, a right ventricle, a left atrium, or a right atrium of the heart. The stent may be transferable from a first compact configuration to a second open configuration to facilitate implantation. The stent may also have a flared distal end to assist with alignment, positioning, and prevent outgrowth.

A device of a shape memory material configured to implement a predetermined level of expansion while allowing contraction and twist can be implemented in a portion of a vascular system, such as in the left ventricle of the heart of a patient suffering from heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

A system for treating a heart includes a catheter that is advanceable into a chamber of the heart and that is repositionable within the chamber between a septal wall and an external wall to enable penetration of the septal and external walls via a needle that is disposed within a lumen of the catheter. A first guidewire is deliverable through the penetration of the septal wall so that a distal end of the first guidewire is disposed within another chamber of the heart. A second guidewire is deliverable through the penetration of the external wall so that a distal end of the second guidewire is disposed externally of the external wall. The first guidewire is connectable to the second guidewire to join or form a path within the chamber that extends between the septal wall and the external wall.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a cardiac device comprising a band configured for deployment within a heart. The band may include a first end and a second end, an actuatable clasp associated with the first end of the band and configured to transition, upon actuation, from an open configuration to a closed configuration for forming the band into a fixed length loop after the second end is moved beyond the clasp. The clasp may be configured for actuation via a catheter. The cardiac device may include a clasp retainer associated with the clasp, the clasp retainer being configured to hold the clasp in the open configuration and the clasp being configured to be actuated upon movement of the clasp retainer, and a clasp actuator configured to move the clasp retainer thereby actuating the clasp.

A distal end of a guide catheter is transvascularly advanced into a left ventricle of a heart of a subject. While the distal end of the guide catheter remains disposed in the left ventricle, a first tissue anchor of an implant is deployed from the distal end of the guide catheter. Subsequently, the guide catheter is retracted while progressively exposing the implant. Subsequently, a second tissue anchor of the implant is anchored to a posterior annulus of a mitral valve of the heart by deploying at least part of the second anchor within a left atrium of the heart, such that the implant extends from the first tissue anchor, over an atrial side of a posterior leaflet of the mitral valve, and to the second tissue anchor. Other embodiments are also described.

A prosthetic heart valve can include an outer support assembly, an inner valve assembly, which define between them an annular space, and a pocket closure that bounds the annular space to form a pocket in which thrombus can be formed and retained. Alternatively, or additionally, the outer support assembly and the inner valve assembly can be coupled at the ventricle ends of the outer support assembly and the inner valve assembly, with the outer support assembly being relatively more compliant in hoop compression in a central, annulus portion than at the ventricle end, so that the prosthetic valve can seat securely in the annulus while imposing minimal loads on the inner valve assembly that could degrade the performance of the valve leaflets.

A percutaneous heart valve prosthesis including a collapsible valve body frame has a first end and a second end. The valve body frame is formed by a plurality of sub-frame members, each sub-frame member having a general form of a diamond with acute-angled vertices and oblique-angled vertices, wherein adjacent sub-frame members are joined at the oblique-angled vertices. A flexible skirt made from pericardial material extends around a periphery of the valve body frame. A one-way valve including a plurality of flexible valve leaflets is positioned within the valve body frame. The first end of the valve body frame is sized to pass through a valve orifice associated with a heart valve to be replaced and the second end of the valve body frame is sized so as not to pass through a valve orifice.

An implantable medical device comprising a first frame component. The first frame component including a first set of elongate elements configured to conform to an anatomy of a patient. The implantable medical device also comprising a second frame component including a second set of elongate elements configured to conform to an anatomy of a patient. The first frame component and the second frame component being discrete and separate from one another. The implantable medical device also comprising a conduit portion arranged between the first frame component and the second frame component. The conduit portion including a membrane connecting the first frame component and the second frame component.

A tissue-engaging element has a distal portion configured to engage a portion of tissue of the heart. A guide member is reversibly coupled to the tissue-engaging element. An elongate implant has a distal end and a proximal end, at least the distal end being slidably coupled to the guide member. A tool is slidable along the guide member distally toward the tissue-engaging element while (i) the tool is coupled to at least the distal end of the elongate implant, and (ii) the guide member is coupled to the tissue-engaging element, such that sliding of the tool along the guide member distally toward the tissue-engaging element while (i) the tool is coupled to at least the distal end of the elongate implant, and (ii) the guide member is coupled to the tissue-engaging element, slides at least the distal end of the elongate implant toward the tissue-engaging element.

A prosthetic heart valve may include a valve portion, a tether connected to the valve portion, and an anchor for connecting the tether to the wall of the heart. The anchor may include a flexible first disc biased toward a first shape that is convex in a first direction and a neck extending from the first disc in a second direction opposite the first direction. The neck has a first end connected to the first disc and a second end. The anchor may further include a flexible second disc connected to the second end of the neck and biased toward a second shape that is convex in the first direction. When deployed, the first and second discs sandwich the wall of the heart.