Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
A system for closed-chest surgical intervention witbin a patient's heart or great vessel, the system comprising: means for forming a percutaneous penetration in an intercostal space in the patient's chest; a visualization scope configured to pass through an intercostal space in the patient's chest for viewing an internal chest cavity; means for arresting the patient's heart from a location outside of the chest cavity; a cardiopulmonary bypass system, including means for delivering oxygenated blood to the patient's arterial system; cutting means positionable through a percutaneous intercostal penetration into the chest cavity for forming an internal penetration in a wall of the patient's heart or great vessel; and means for securing a replacement valve at a valve location within the patient's heart, the means being positionable through a percutaneous intercostal penetration and through the internal penetration.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
135 words
A system for closed-chest surgical intervention witbin a patient's heart or great vessel, the system comprising: means for forming a percutaneous penetration in an intercostal space in the patient's chest; a visualization scope configured to pass through an intercostal space in the patient's chest for viewing an internal chest cavity; means for arresting the patient's heart from a location outside of the chest cavity; a cardiopulmonary bypass system, including means for delivering oxygenated blood to the patient's arterial system; cutting means positionable through a percutaneous intercostal penetration into the chest cavity for forming an internal penetration in a wall of the patient's heart or great vessel; and means for securing a replacement valve at a valve location within the patient's heart, the means being positionable through a percutaneous intercostal penetration and through the internal penetration.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the means for arresting the heart comprises an endovascular catheter having expandable means for occluding the patient's ascending aorta between the patient's coronary arteries and the patient's brachiocephalic artery, and an internal lumen for delivering cardioplegic fluid into the ascending aorta upstream of the expandable means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of claim 1 further comprising a cannula positionable in a percutaneous intercostal penetration, the cannula having a lumen therein through which the replacement valve may be introduced into the internal chest cavity.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
59 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the replacement valve comprises an annular portion for attachment to a valve annulus in the heart, the annular portion having an outer diameter, wherein the lumen in the cannula has a cross-sectional height at least equal to the outer diameter, and a cross-sectional width less than the width of the intercostal space.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system of claim 1 further comprising cutting means positionable through a percutaneous intercostal penetration and through the internal penetration for removing at least a portion of the patient's heart valve.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 1 further comprising means positionable through a percutaneous intercostal penetration and through the internal penetration for sizing a valve annulus of the patient's heart valve.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
51 words
The system of claim 6 wherein the sizing means comprises an elongated shaft and sizing means at a distal end of the shaft, wherein the shaft and sizing means may be introduced through a percutaneous intercostal penetration and through the internal penetration to position the sizing means near the valve annulus.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system of claim 1 further comprising means for introducing the replacement valve into the patient's heart, the introducing means comprising an elongated shaft having means at a distal end thereof for releasably holding the replacement valve.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
50 words
The system of claim 8 wherein the introducing means further comprises means actuated from a proximal end of the shaft for pivoting the replacement valve relative to the shaft from a first position for introduction through a percutaneous intercostal penetration to a second position for attachment at the valve location.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the means for securing the replacement valve comprises means positionable through a percutaneous intercostal penetration for suturing the replacement valve to a valve annulus at the valve location.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of claim 10 further comprising organizing means for maintaining sutures in spaced-apart positions outside of the chest cavity after the sutures have been applied to the valve annulus.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
41 words
The system of claim 11 wherein the organizing means is fixed to a proximal end of a cannula disposed in a percutaneous intercostal penetration, the cannula having a lumen through which the replacement valve may be introduced into the chest cavity.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
The of claim 11 further comprising means on the organizing means for maintaining tension on ends of the sutures to facilitate advancing the replacement valve along the sutures into the patient's heart.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 1 further comprising retraction means positionable through an intercostal space in the patient's chest for opening the internal penetration in the wall of the heart or great vessel.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the interventional means is configured to reach the interior of the heart or great vessel from a percutaneous penetration in a right lateral portion of the patient's chest.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 15 wherein the interventional means is at least about 20 cm in length.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
85 words
A system for surgical intervention within a patient's heart or great vessel, the system comprising: means for forming a percutaneous penetration in an intercostal space in the patient's chest; cutting means positionable through a percutaneous intercostal penetration into the chest cavity for forming an internal penetration in a wall of the patient's heart or great vessel; and means for securing a replacement valve at a valve location within the patient's heart, the means being positionable through a percutaneous intercostal penetration and through the internal penetration.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
85 words
A system for surgical intervention within a patient's heart or great vessel, the system comprising: means for forming a percutaneous penetration in an intercostal space in the patient's chest; cutting means positionable through a percutaneous intercostal penetration into the chest cavity for forming an internal penetration in a wall of the patient's heart or great vessel; and means for securing a replacement valve at a valve location within the patient's heart, the means being positionable through a percutaneous intercostal penetration and through the internal penetration.