Patent ID: 6718985
Filing Date: 2004-04-13
Classification: A61B,A61F,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for performing annuloplasty, comprising:accessing tissue located near the mitral valve of a heart through a left ventricle of the heart, wherein the tissue is accessed using a catheter; providing a first plication element through the catheter; and creating a first discrete plication in the tissue using the first plication element and the catheter, the first plication element being positioned to cause an arc length of the mitral valve to be reduced, wherein the first plication element includes a plurality of bar pieces, a thread, and a lock, the bar pieces and the lock being coupled to the thread, and creating the first discrete plication in the tissue using the first plication element and the catheter includes (a) penetrating the tissue to position the bar pieces on an atrial side of the tissue, (b) tensioning the thread to position the bar pieces against the atrial side of the tissue, and (c) locking the lock against a ventricular side of the tissue, wherein locking the lock against the ventricular side of the tissue causes the first discrete plication to be formed substantially between the bar pieces and the lock.