Patent ID: 9675455
Date: 2017-06-13
CPC Classifications: A61B,A61F

Claim:
1. A method of positioning a prosthetic heart valve, comprising: coupling a proximal end portion of a prosthetic heart valve to a distal end portion of an attachment mechanism of a delivery apparatus, wherein a distal end portion of the prosthetic heart valve extends distally beyond the attachment mechanism, the delivery apparatus includes a plurality of deflectable arms, and a plurality of releasable attachment structures extending through the deflectable arms and the prosthetic heart valve; delivering the prosthetic heart valve through a patient's vasculature to or adjacent the patient's native aortic valve with the prosthetic heart valve retained in a first compressed configuration within a delivery tube of the delivery apparatus; deploying the prosthetic heart valve from the delivery tube of the delivery apparatus; allowing radial expansion of the prosthetic heart valve from the first compressed configuration to an expanded configuration at a first position in the patient's body such that the prosthetic heart valve contacts the patient's aortic valve; and radially constricting the prosthetic heart valve from the expanded configuration to a second compressed configuration greater than the first compressed configuration to disengage the prosthetic heart valve from the patient's aortic valve.