An adjustable valvuloplasty ring that comprises a C-shaped frame that is sized and shaped to extend about the circumference of the left atrioventricular orifice along the base of the anterior cusp of the mitral valve; an expandable sleeve connected to the frame that together therewith forms a closed annulus, the sleeve being adapted to extend about the remainder of the circumference of the orifice; and a drawstring running through the sleeve by which the sleeve may be contracted to constrict and remodel the orifice and secured in place to maintain such constriction.
A device, particularly useful for reconstructing heart valves, that includes: an implant having an elongate, deformable structure so that it can assume an elongate shape for insertion into the body of the patient through a small-diameter passage, approximately 1 to 2 cm, and a curved shape adapted for creating the annuloplasty, and a tubular instrument able to receive the implant at least partially within itself, which is sufficiently rigid to allow insertion of the implant into the body of the patient through the passage; this instrument has an opening at its distal part enabling access to implant, means for rotationally locking the implant relative thereto, means for holding implant relative thereto, and means for detecting its angular orientation inside the body of the patient.
An adjustable ringprosthesis designed particularly for being sewed onto the ring of the mitral valve or tricuspidal valve of a living heart uses a spring ribbon coiled with an overlap of about a half turn covered in a woven, braided or knitted cuff of a suitable synthetic fiber that can be sewed into place. An adjusting device (40) is fixedly positioned on a portion of the spring ribbon which is internally overlapped by an end portion which carries teeth so as to form a rack which can be driven by a screw (15) in the adjusting device for varying the diameter of the ring. The adjusting device is operated by an adjusting tool, the front end of which is guided into a screw-head socket (50) for turning the screw to change the ring diameter. The shaft of the tool is guided by a tube through a connecting piece (51) onto which the guide tube is screwed, and from which it can be unscrewed and removed when there is no further need for post-operative adjustment of the prosthesis.
An annuloplasty ring of a tubular construction having two drawstrings, the ends of which extend from openings in the tube. The ring tube is stitched through the mid-section, defining two channels, the inner of which carries the drawstrings, and outer of which is used as a sewing flange for suturing the ring in place. A colored line along the top and bottom of the ring marks the stitching line, and, therefore, the dividing line between the channels. Each of the drawstrings is anchored at two anchor points, the anchor points alternating around the circumference of the ring to create a fixed non-adjustable zone between the center anchor points, two transitional adjustable zones, between the outside anchor point pairs, each being controlled by one or the other of the drawstrings, and two adjustable zones between the outermost anchor points and the openings in the tube from which the drawstrings extend, each being controlled by both drawstrings, such that the drawstrings may be uniformly or selectively, symmetrically or asymmetrically tightened to adjust the annulus to a desired shape.
An improved valve prosthesis for mitral and tricuspid heart valves, the valve prosthesis being configurated as an open ring and covered with a double velour fabric having a laterally projecting fabric appendage for simultaneously facilitating suturing the prosthesis in place and improving tissue infiltration.
