Patent ID: 9078750
Filing Date: 2015-07-14
Classification: A61B,A61F

Abstract:
1. A combination including a holder for handling and delivering a prosthetic mitral heart valve to an implantation site, comprising: a prosthetic mitral heart valve having an inflow end and three flexible commissure posts ending in tips projecting in an outflow direction; a holder body contacting the inflow end of the heart valve, the holder body defining a central window through which leaflets of the heart valve are visible and having at least one peripherally-extending internal passage; three connecting sutures each fixed to the holder body and having a loop extending through the internal passage, out of the holder body and along each of the commissure posts of the heart valve, three closed ends of the loops of the connecting sutures mutually crossing over between the tips of the commissure posts; and a tensioning mechanism on the holder for applying tension to the connecting sutures to cause the commissure post tips to move radially inward, wherein the tensioning mechanism comprises a rotatable tensor operable from an inflow side of the holder and connected to a spool around which is wrapped each of the connecting sutures so that rotation of the tensor applies tension to the connecting sutures, and the holder further includes a handle extending from the holder body and the tensor is the handle which is rotatable relative to the holder body.