Patent ID: 9539092
Date: 2017-01-10
CPC Classifications: A61F

Claim:
1. A system for treating a native valve in a human heart, comprising: a prosthetic valve including an expandable frame and a valvular structure, the prosthetic valve having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion; a tubular sleeve defining a passageway; a valve catheter disposed in the tubular sleeve; a plurality of flexible extension arms coupled to a distal end portion of the valve catheter configured to hold the prosthetic valve, to radially expand with the prosthetic valve during expansion of the prosthetic valve at a treatment site, and to radially contract when relative movement between the sleeve and the valve catheter results in the sleeve being positioned over the flexible extension arms, causing the prosthetic valve to collapse from an expanded state to an at least partially collapsed state, wherein distal end portions of the flexible extension arms comprise attachment apertures and are releasably coupled to the proximal end portion of the prosthetic valve; at least one tether extending through an attachment aperture of at least one flexible extension arm for securing the prosthetic valve to the flexible extension arms; an actuation mechanism disposed along a proximal end portion of the valve catheter; and at least one slidable member attached to the actuation mechanism and extending distally toward the prosthetic valve, wherein the slidable member is retractable upon actuation of the actuation mechanism for detaching the at least one tether from the prosthetic valve.