Patent ID: 11864997
Assignee: EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A method of positioning a prosthetic heart valve, comprising:
inserting a distal end portion of a delivery apparatus into a patient's vasculature, wherein the distal end portion comprises a prosthetic heart valve mounted thereon;
advancing the distal end portion of the delivery apparatus and the prosthetic heart valve to an implantation location;
partially inflating an inner balloon of the delivery apparatus disposed at the distal end portion of the delivery apparatus with a fluid, wherein partially inflating the inner balloon results in end portions of the inner balloon expanding radially outwardly farther than at a center portion of the inner balloon, and wherein partially inflating the inner balloon results in partial expansion of the prosthetic heart valve;
after partially inflating the inner balloon, fully inflating an outer balloon of the delivery apparatus disposed at the distal end portion of the delivery apparatus with the fluid, wherein the fluid flows from within the inner balloon, through openings in the inner balloon, and into the outer balloon, wherein the outer balloon is sealed so as to prevent fluid from flowing out of the outer balloon into the patient's vasculature, and wherein fully inflating the outer balloon results in full expansion of the prosthetic heart valve; and
prior to fully inflating the outer balloon, inflating the inner balloon until the inner balloon burst.