Patent ID: 11857418
Assignee: VALCARE, INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 16:
17. A method for aligning an annuloplasty ring or a first toroidal portion thereof to at least one natural fiducial of an annular target and engage a portion of the annular target aligned with the at least one natural fiducial, implementable in a system comprising an annuloplasty ring, or a first toroidal portion thereof, each having an outer hollow tube comprising a backbone with a plurality of slots therein, the annuloplasty ring or the toroidal portion are each operable to change from an insertion configuration to an operable configuration; an alignment and engagement construction comprising at least one cannula, each cannula of the at least one cannula having a sleeve coupled to a distal end of the cannula, the sleeve being releasably coupled to the outer hollow tube via a coupling subassembly, the construction operable to align with the at least one natural fiducial and engage a portion of the annular target aligned with the at least one natural fiducial; and a delivery catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, adapted, sized and configured to accommodate: the alignment and engagement construction, the coupling sub-assembly and the annuloplasty ring or the first toroidal portion thereof in the insertion configuration, and wherein the delivery catheter is operable, once the annuloplasty ring or the first toroidal portion is inserted, to alter the annuloplasty ring or the first toroidal portion from the insertion configuration to the operable configuration, the method comprising:
using the delivery catheter, introducing the annuloplasty ring or the first toroidal portion thereof to an annular target site;
using the delivery catheter, altering the insertion configuration of the annuloplasty ring or the first toroidal portion thereof to the operable configuration;
using the alignment and engagement construction, aligning the at least one sleeve with the at least one natural fiducial;
engaging the annular target at the location aligned with the at least one natural fiducial; and
releasing the sleeve from the outer hollow tube.