US 11,696,827 B2
Retaining mechanisms for prosthetic valves
Christopher J. Olson, Lake Forest, CA (US); Glen T. Rabito, Lake Forest, CA (US); Dustin P. Armer, Costa Mesa, CA (US); Minh T. Ma, Santa Ana, CA (US); Devin H. Marr, Westford, MA (US); Cheng-Tung Huang, Laguna Niguel, CA (US); Hiroshi Okabe, Costa Mesa, CA (US); Kevin M. Stewart, Corona, CA (US); Alison S. Curtis, Costa Mesa, CA (US); and Philip P. Corso, Jr., Laguna Hills, CA (US)
Assigned to EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION, Irvine, CA (US)
Filed by Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, Irvine, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/455,207.
Application 17/455,207 is a continuation of application No. 16/708,267, filed on Dec. 9, 2019.
Application 16/708,267 is a continuation of application No. 15/130,402, filed on Apr. 15, 2016, granted, now 10,500,047, issued on Dec. 10, 2019.
Application 15/130,402 is a continuation of application No. 13/188,988, filed on Jul. 22, 2011, granted, now 9,326,853, issued on May 3, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/426,407, filed on Dec. 22, 2010.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/367,293, filed on Jul. 23, 2010.
Prior Publication US 2022/0071766 A1, Mar. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. A61F 2/24 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 2/2439 (2013.01) [A61F 2/243 (2013.01); A61F 2/2418 (2013.01); A61F 2/2433 (2013.01); A61F 2/2436 (2013.01); A61F 2/2427 (2013.01); A61F 2220/005 (2013.01); A61F 2220/0016 (2013.01); A61F 2220/0075 (2013.01); A61F 2230/0054 (2013.01); A61F 2230/0076 (2013.01); A61F 2250/006 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of implanting a self-expandable prosthetic heart valve assembly, the method comprising:
advancing the prosthetic heart valve assembly through a patient's aorta toward the patient's native aortic valve using a delivery apparatus via a transfermoral delivery approach, wherein the prosthetic heart valve assembly comprises a self-expandable prosthetic heart valve and a self-expandable support structure, and wherein, during the advancing, the support structure and the prosthetic heart valve are in a compressed state;
radially expanding the support structure into an at least partially expanded state, the support structure having a support-structure interior and comprising a plurality of positioning arms, the prosthetic heart valve disposed radially within the support-structure interior, wherein the plurality of positioning arms are formed by a plurality of interconnected struts that are joined at a plurality of proximal apices and a plurality of distal apices, and wherein the support structure further comprises a plurality of covers, each of the plurality of covers enclosing at least the distal apices of the plurality of positioning arms, wherein each of the plurality of covers comprises an interior layer and an exterior layer, the interior layer having an overall same size and shape relative to the exterior layer, the distal apex disposed between the interior layer and the exterior layer, wherein each of the plurality of covers encloses only the distal apices of the plurality of positioning arms, and wherein an interior space between adjacent struts forming the respective distal apex is not covered by the cover;
rotationally adjusting a position of the support structure while in the at least partially expanded state, wherein the rotational adjusting comprises monitoring, via one or more radiopaque markers disposed on the support structure, a position of the support structure relative to the native aortic valve and using the delivery apparatus to align each of the plurality of positioning arms with a cusp of one of a plurality of native leaflets of the native aortic valve;
positioning the support structure on or adjacent a surface of an outflow side of the native aortic valve using the delivery apparatus while the support structure is in the at least partially expanded state;
positioning the prosthetic heart valve within the native aortic valve using the delivery apparatus;
radially expanding the prosthetic heart valve to an expanded state while the prosthetic heart valve is within the native aortic valve;
releasing the support structure and the prosthetic heart valve from the delivery apparatus after the radial expanding of the prosthetic heart valve; and
cushioning, via the plurality of covers, respective exterior portions of native leaflet tissue of the plurality of native leaflets from a force exerted thereon by the distal apices of the plurality of positioning arms, the interior layers of the plurality of covers engaging the respective exterior portions of native leaflet tissue.