Patent ID: 11951007
Assignee: MEDTRONIC, INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A method for deploying a stented heart valve, the method comprising:
advancing a delivery system to a desired location, the delivery system including the stented heart valve disposed within a sheath of the delivery system, wherein the stented heart valve includes a first end and a second end, the second end being compressed and retained within a distal tip of the delivery system;
retracting the sheath of the delivery system proximally past the first end of the stented heart valve, wherein the first end of the stented heart valve is retained by the delivery system with the sheath retracting proximal of the first end of the stented heart valve;
advancing the distal tip of the delivery system to release the second end of the stented heart valve; and
releasing the first end of the stented heart valve from the delivery system,
wherein the first end of the stented heart valve is retained by the delivery system by a plurality of elongated stent engagement elements, wherein each stent engagement element includes a stent engagement portion engaged with a crown of a stent at the first end of the stented heart valve, wherein the stent engagement elements and the crowns are equal in quantity, and
wherein the step of releasing the first end of the stented heart valve from the delivery system includes disengaging the stent engagement portion of each stent engagement element from the crown of the stent.