US 11,857,415 B2
Controlled steering functionality for implant-delivery tool
Tal Sheps, Givat Shmuel (IL); Tal Hammer, Ramat Gan (IL); Ehud Aviv, Costa Mesa, CA (US); Tal Reich, Moledet (IL); Yaron Herman, Givat Ada (IL); and Amir Gross, Tel Aviv-Jaffa (IL)
Assigned to Edwards Lifesciences Innovation (Israel) Ltd., Caesarea (IL)
Filed by Edwards Lifesciences Innovation (Israel) Ltd., Caesarea (IL)
Filed on Feb. 14, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/792,071.
Application 16/792,071 is a continuation of application No. 15/667,101, filed on Aug. 2, 2017, granted, now 10,568,738.
Application 15/667,101 is a continuation of application No. 14/357,040, granted, now 9,724,192, issued on Aug. 8, 2017, previously published as PCT/IL2012/050451, filed on Nov. 8, 2012.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/557,082, filed on Nov. 8, 2011.
Prior Publication US 2020/0179114 A1, Jun. 11, 2020
Int. Cl. A61F 2/24 (2006.01); A61M 25/01 (2006.01); A61M 25/00 (2006.01); A61M 25/06 (2006.01); A61B 17/068 (2006.01); A61B 17/10 (2006.01); A61B 90/00 (2016.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61B 17/064 (2006.01); A61B 17/29 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 2/2427 (2013.01) [A61B 17/068 (2013.01); A61B 17/105 (2013.01); A61F 2/2445 (2013.01); A61F 2/2466 (2013.01); A61M 25/0054 (2013.01); A61M 25/0068 (2013.01); A61M 25/01 (2013.01); A61M 25/0105 (2013.01); A61M 25/0108 (2013.01); A61M 25/0136 (2013.01); A61M 25/0147 (2013.01); A61M 25/0662 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00305 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00314 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00323 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00367 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0649 (2013.01); A61B 2017/293 (2013.01); A61B 2090/0811 (2016.02); A61F 2210/0014 (2013.01); A61F 2250/001 (2013.01); A61F 2250/0098 (2013.01); A61M 25/005 (2013.01); A61M 25/0133 (2013.01); A61M 2025/0004 (2013.01); A61M 2025/0006 (2013.01); A61M 2025/015 (2013.01); A61M 2025/0681 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for facilitating transluminal access to a heart of a subject, the apparatus comprising:
a first catheter:
shaped to define a first lumen therealong,
having a first-catheter proximal portion, and
having a steerable first-catheter distal portion that is transluminally advanceable to the heart, and a first coupling proximal from the first-catheter distal portion;
a second catheter:
shaped to define a second lumen therealong,
having a second-catheter proximal portion,
having a steerable second-catheter distal portion, and a second coupling proximal from the second-catheter distal portion,
a first handle, coupled to the first-catheter proximal portion, and oriented obliquely away from the first-catheter proximal portion at a nonzero angle with respect to the longitudinal axis; and
a second handle, coupled to the second-catheter proximal portion, and disposed proximally from the first handle,
wherein the second-catheter distal portion and the second coupling are advanceable through the first lumen with the second lumen coaxial with the first lumen:
while the apparatus is in an unlocked state in which (i) the second coupling is disposed within the first lumen, and (ii) rotation of the second handle with respect to the first handle rotates the second-catheter distal portion with respect to the first catheter, and
until the second coupling engages with the first coupling responsively to reaching the first coupling, thereby moving the apparatus into a locked state in which the second-catheter distal portion (i) is rotationally locked with respect to the first catheter, and (ii) extends distally out from the first-catheter distal portion.