Patent ID: 11931251
Assignee: EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 19:
20. A delivery apparatus comprising:
a first shaft configured to rotate around a central longitudinal axis of the delivery apparatus to rotationally align a prosthetic valve mounted on the delivery apparatus with native anatomy at a target implantation site;
a second shaft extending through the first shaft and having a distal end portion extending distally beyond a distal end portion of the first shaft;
an inflatable balloon coupled to the distal end portion of the first shaft;
a polymeric body mounted on the distal end portion of the second shaft and a radiopaque marker mounted on or embedded within the polymeric body; and, a third shaft surrounding the first shaft, wherein the first shaft is configured to rotate within the third shaft, wherein the first shaft and third shaft are configured to translate axially relative to one another, and wherein the third shaft includes a distal tip portion including a plurality of helical expansion grooves arranged in an inner surface of the distal tip portion and configured to allow the distal tip portion to flex radially outward, wherein the distal tip portion is axially movable from a first position where the distal tip portion is arranged away from and off the balloon and the distal end portion of the first shaft extends distally past a distal end of the distal tip portion to a second position where the distal tip portion is arranged over a proximal end portion of the balloon and a distal end portion of the third shaft surrounds the distal end portion of the first shaft, and wherein the plurality of helical expansion grooves are configured to reduce engagement between pleats of the balloon and the plurality of helical expansion grooves when the balloon is rotated with rotation of the first shaft when the distal tip portion is in the second position.