Patent ID: 11969348
Assignee: EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A  F | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A method for replacing a native valve of a heart located between a ventricle and an atrium, the native valve having leaflets, the leaflets having a ventricle side and an atrium side, the method comprising:
advancing to the heart an implant comprising (i) a loop of material, and (ii) a plurality of anchors, each of the anchors:
including a pointed front tip and a linear slot that extends along a longitudinal dimension of the anchor, and
being coupled to the loop by the loop being threaded through the slot;

securing the implant to the leaflets of the native valve by penetrating the anchors into the leaflets as the loop slides longitudinally along the slot of each anchor;
after the implant is attached to the leaflets, advancing a prosthetic valve to the heart; and
after the prosthetic valve has been advanced through a delivery catheter, expanding the prosthetic valve into the implant so that an interaction between the implant and the prosthetic valve secures the prosthetic valve in place between the ventricle and the atrium.