Patent ID: 9044221
Filing Date: 2015-06-02
Classification: A61B,A61F,A61M

Abstract:
1. A system for repairing a heart valve in a beating heart of a patient, comprising; a port adapted to span a wall of the heart of the patient, the port having an opening extending therethrough and including a sealing portion including at least one seal configured to be positioned in the opening between an interior and an exterior of the heart; an imaging catheter slidably insertable into the opening of the port, the imaging catheter having at least one lumen therethrough and including at least one imaging element; a deployment catheter slidably insertable into the at least one lumen of the imaging catheter, the deployment catheter carrying a deployment mechanism and including at least one lumen therethrough, wherein a distal end of at least one of the imaging catheter and the deployment catheter forms a first portion of a jaw assembly for grasping target tissue for repair in the heart; a repair cartridge slidably insertable into the lumen of the deployment catheter, the repair cartridge at least partially carrying a repair device adapted to repair the target tissue that is deployed onto the target tissue in conjunction with the deployment mechanism, the repair cartridge having a shaft with a tip at a distal end of the shaft, and wherein a proximally facing surface of the tip forms a second portion of the jaw assembly; and an elongate removable locking mechanism selectively removable from contact with both the imaging catheter and the port and configured to engage the imaging catheter longitudinally along a length of an outer circumferential surface of the imaging catheter to prevent the imaging catheter from moving distally towards the target tissue relative to the port when the removable locking mechanism is engaged with the imaging catheter and a proximal force is applied to the imaging catheter for inserting the imaging catheter into the heart of the patient, the removable locking mechanism configured to move together with the imaging catheter when engaged with the imaging catheter; wherein the imaging catheter is free to slide distally relative to the port to access the target tissue in the heart when the removable locking mechanism is not engaged with the imaging catheter to capture the target tissue with the jaw assembly; wherein the at least one imaging element confirms proper capture of the target tissue with the jaw assembly; and wherein the at least one seal substantially prevents blood from escaping the heart through the port while providing for selective insertion and removal of the imaging catheter, deployment catheter and repair cartridge through the port while the heart of the patient is beating.