Patent ID: 7803185
Filing Date: 2010-09-28
Classification: A61F,G01N,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for implanting a heart valve prosthesis into a patient's heart, the method comprising: inserting the heart valve prosthesis into a barrel of an implanter, such that the prosthesis has a reduced cross-sectional dimension relative to a fully expanded cross-sectional dimension of the prosthesis; opening a patient's chest; creating an opening in tissue located within the open patient's chest to provide a substantially direct path that extends from the opening to a desired implantation site in the patient's heart, the opening in the tissue being created in the patient's pulmonary artery, the patient's aorta or heart muscle of the patient so that the opening opposes the desired implantation site; passing a length of the barrel through the opening in the tissue to position an end of the barrel of the implanter adjacent the desired implantation site in the patient's heart such that the end of the barrel and the opening are along the direct path; discharging the heart valve prosthesis from the barrel of the implanter adjacent the desired implantation site; and expanding the heart valve prosthesis at the desired implantation site from the reduced cross-sectional dimension toward the expanded cross-sectional dimension, such that an exterior portion of the heart valve prosthesis engages adjacent tissue to mitigate movement of the prosthesis relative to the adjacent tissue.