US 12,138,165 B2
Annuloplasty implants
Amir Gross, Tel Aviv-Jaffa (IL); Tal Sheps, Givat Shmuel (IL); Tal Hammer, Ramat Gan (IL); Tal Reich, Moledat (IL); and Ehud Aviv, Costa Mesa, CA (US)
Assigned to Edwards Lifesciences Innovation (Israel) Ltd., Caesarea (IL)
Filed by Edwards Lifesciences Innovation (Israel) Ltd., Caesarea (IL)
Filed on Sep. 13, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/473,786.
Application 17/473,786 is a continuation of application No. 16/601,289, filed on Oct. 14, 2019, granted, now 11,116,634.
Application 16/601,289 is a continuation of application No. 15/474,543, filed on Mar. 30, 2017, granted, now 10,470,882, issued on Nov. 12, 2019.
Application 15/474,543 is a continuation of application No. 14/128,756, granted, now 9,662,209, issued on May 30, 2017, previously published as PCT/IL2012/000250, filed on Jun. 21, 2012.
Application 14/128,756 is a continuation in part of application No. 13/167,492, filed on Jun. 23, 2011, granted, now 8,926,697, issued on Jan. 6, 2015.
Application 14/128,756 is a continuation in part of application No. 13/167,476, filed on Jun. 23, 2011, granted, now 8,940,044, issued on Jan. 27, 2015.
Application 14/128,756 is a continuation in part of application No. 13/167,444, filed on Jun. 23, 2011, granted, now 9,011,530, issued on Apr. 21, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2021/0401576 A1, Dec. 30, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61F 2/24 (2006.01); A61B 17/068 (2006.01); A61B 17/072 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61B 17/04 (2006.01); A61B 17/064 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 2/2445 (2013.01) [A61B 17/068 (2013.01); A61B 17/072 (2013.01); A61F 2/2466 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00243 (2013.01); A61B 2017/003 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0441 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0464 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0649 (2013.01); A61F 2/2448 (2013.01); A61F 2220/0016 (2013.01); A61F 2250/0004 (2013.01); A61F 2250/0007 (2013.01); A61F 2250/001 (2013.01)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for treating a native valve of a heart of a patient, the method comprising:
anchoring multiple anchors of an implant into tissue around an annulus of the native valve, such that the implant forms a closed loop around the annulus, the implant including an elongate contracting member;
at the annulus, incorporating a force-distribution element into the implant such that the force-distribution element extends along a longitudinal portion of the elongate contracting member; and
circumferentially tightening the annulus by drawing the anchors closer together by actuating a contracting mechanism that is coupled to the elongate contracting member, such that:
the contracting mechanism applies a longitudinal tensioning force to the elongate contracting member, and
the force-distribution element distributes the longitudinal tensioning force over at least two of the anchors.