Supportless atrioventricular heart valve and minimally invasive delivery systems thereof

Claim 2

1 . A method for minimally invasively delivering a supportless atrioventricular valve made of a singular membrane of tissue into a patient, said method comprising folding said valve within a lumen of delivery means for delivering said valve through a cardiac wall into a left atrium of the patient.

Claim 3

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said valve comprising a sewing ring having an opening defined by a perimeter including at least a first and a second straight side portions thereof, an anterior cusp hinged continuously from said first straight side portion, a posterior cusp hinged continuously from said second straight side portion opposite said anterior cusp, wherein said anterior cusp and said posterior cusp are an integral part of a continuum from said singular membrane configured to form a substantially tubular shape for use as the supportless atrioventricular valve.

Claim 4

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein said singular membrane of tissue is chemically treated to reduce antigenicity of said membrane.

Claim 5

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein said membrane of tissue is pericardium tissue selected from a group consisting of equine, bovine, porcine, and ovine.

Claim 6

5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising steps of: (a) advancing a delivery apparatus of the delivery means through a percutaneous intercostal penetration and reaching the cardiac wall, wherein said delivery apparatus comprises a cup balloon at a distal section of the delivery apparatus having a plurality of suction ports at a balloon rim of said cup balloon; (b) deploying the cup balloon and applying suction to said plurality of suction ports to create an isolated enclosure around a distal region of the delivery apparatus; (c) introducing a sharp-end inner medical device inside said delivery apparatus toward the cardiac wall and creating a passthrough opening on said wall; (d) withdrawing the sharp-end inner medical device from said delivery apparatus; (e) introducing a second inner medical device having the folded supportless atrioventricular valve through the passthrough opening into the left atrium; and (f) delivering the atrioventricular valve suitable out of said second inner medical device for implanting at a heart valve location.

Claim 7

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the delivery means is introduced through a cannula positioned in a percutaneous intercostal penetration.

Claim 8

7 . The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of removing at least a portion of a patient's atrioventricular valve by means of a cutting tool introduced through a percutaneous intercostal penetration and through an internal penetration on the cardiac wall.

Claim 9

8 . The method of claim 7 further comprising fastening the supportless atrioventricular valve within the left atrium by means of an instrument introduced through the percutaneous intercostal penetration and through the internal penetration.

Claim 10

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein the supportless atrioventricular valve is introduced through a cannula positioned in the percutaneous intercostal penetration.

Claim 11

10 . The method of claim 7 wherein the percutaneous intercostal penetration is created in a right lateral portion of a patient's chest.

Claim 12

11 . A delivery apparatus for accessing a left atrium of a patient through a cardiac wall, said delivery apparatus comprising a cup balloon located at a distal section of said delivery apparatus, wherein said cup balloon having a balloon rim configured for defining an isolated enclosure bordered by said balloon rim of said cup balloon and said cardiac wall.

Claim 13

11 . A delivery apparatus for accessing a left atrium of a patient through a cardiac wall, said delivery apparatus comprising a cup balloon located at a distal section of said delivery apparatus, wherein said cup balloon having a balloon rim configured for defining an isolated enclosure bordered by said balloon rim of said cup balloon and said cardiac wall.

Claim 14

12 . The delivery apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said delivery apparatus further comprises a plurality of suction ports located along the balloon rim of said cup balloon adapted for releasably securing said balloon rim onto said cardiac wall.

Claim 15

13 . The delivery apparatus of claim 12 , wherein a suction pressure of the plurality of suction ports is in the range of −5 to −100 mmHg.

Claim 16

14 . The delivery apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the cup balloon is made of a material selected from a group consisting of silicone, polyurethane, latex, and mixture thereof.

Claim 17

15 . The delivery apparatus of claim 11 , wherein a pressure for inflating said cup balloon is in the range of 10 to 100 mmHg.

Claim 18

16 . The delivery apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the delivery apparatus is made of a material selected from a group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, nylon, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyurethane, stainless steel, Nitinol, titanium, polyimide, and polyester.

Claim 19

17 . A method of treating atrial fibrillation using a medical device with at least one radiofrequency electrode, the method comprising introducing said medical device through an intercostal penetration and an opening on a cardiac wall into a left atrium of a patient, wherein radiofrequency energy is provided through said at least one electrode to ablate at least one pulmonary vein in the left atrium.

Claim 20

17 . A method of treating atrial fibrillation using a medical device with at least one radiofrequency electrode, the method comprising introducing said medical device through an intercostal penetration and an opening on a cardiac wall into a left atrium of a patient, wherein radiofrequency energy is provided through said at least one electrode to ablate at least one pulmonary vein in the left atrium.

Claim 21

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein a trocar is placed at the intercostal penetration for said medical device to pass through.

Claim 22

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the opening on the cardiac wall is created by a delivery system having a delivery apparatus and a sharp-end inner medical device for creating said opening, the delivery apparatus comprising a cup balloon located at a distal section of said delivery apparatus configured for defining an isolated enclosure bordered by said cup balloon and said cardiac wall.

Claim 23

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein said delivery apparatus further comprises a plurality of suction ports located along a balloon rim of said cup balloon adapted for releasably securing said rim onto said cardiac wall.