Abstract:
This material comprises an annuloplasty member able to be introduced using a catheter through minimally invasive vascular access, then to be delivered by said catheter and fixed to the valve annulus. According to the invention, it includes at least one catheter comprising at least one guide member able to be deployed from said catheter such that it extends along one portion of the valve annulus of the valve, in the immediate proximity of said valve annulus, and an implant having a helical shape engaged on said guide member, connected, with separation possibility, to actuation means making it possible to cause this implant to move forward while driving it in rotation around its axis; the implant can thus be deployed from the catheter while being simultaneously moved forward and driven in rotation along its axis.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/519,498 filed Jan. 22, 2010, which is a national phase application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCT/IB2007/003975 filed Dec. 18, 2007, which claims the benefit of U.S. Appl. No. 60/876,547 filed Dec. 22, 2006 and which claims foreign priority to FR 06 11284 filed Dec. 22, 2006, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a material for treating a heart valve, in particular a mitral valve of a heart. This treatment may consist of performing an annuloplasty, i.e. decreasing distention of the annulus, or of strengthening the annulus of a normal valve. The invention also relates to a percutaneous method for performing a treatment of this type. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The annulus of a heart valve may, over time, be subject to distention leading to poor coaptation of the leaflets, resulting in decreased sealing of the valve. 
         [0004]    To treat this ailment, it is well-known to perform an annuloplasty, i.e. a recalibration of the annulus using a member implanted on the valve annulus. 
         [0005]    This annuloplasty member may be a prosthetic annulus fixed on the native valve annulus. This technique, however, has the drawback of involving open-heart surgery. 
         [0006]    The annuloplasty member may also be a deformable member, able to be introduced using a catheter through minimally-invasive vascular access, then able to be delivered through the catheter and fixed near the valve annulus before being circumferentially withdrawn. 
         [0007]    The existing annuloplasty members of this type, and the corresponding implantation techniques, like systems using the coronary sinuses, are not, however, fully satisfactory. 
         [0008]    Moreover, it may be necessary to implant a prosthetic heart valve, in particular percutaneously using a catheter. Currently, this type of percutaneous implantation is difficult on the mitral valve of a heart, due essentially to the fact that the annulus of a mitral valve is elastic and may be distended during percutaneous implantation of a prosthetic valve. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention essentially aims to resolve the drawbacks and gaps of the earlier techniques. 
         [0010]    The concerned material comprises, in a known manner, an annuloplasty member able to be introduced using a catheter through minimally invasive vascular access, then to be delivered by said catheter and fixed to the valve annulus. 
         [0011]    According to the invention, the material includes at least one catheter, comprising at least one guide member able to be deployed from said catheter such that it extends along one portion of the valve annulus of the valve, in the immediate proximity of said valve annulus, and an implant having a helical shape engaged on said guide member, connected, with separation possibility, to actuation means making it possible to cause this implant to move forward while driving it in rotation around its axis; the implant can thus be deployed from the catheter while being simultaneously moved forward and driven in rotation along its axis, said rotation enabling the implant to penetrate the tissue of the valve annulus while being guided along said annulus by said guide member. 
         [0012]    The material according to the invention thus allows the implant to be placed very precisely along a segment of the valve annulus, using minimally-invasive access. The guide member is retracted into the catheter after placement of the implant, only the latter part remaining in place at the valve annulus. 
         [0013]    The implant may vary in length and can adopt an extended shape for introduction and a shortened shape for implantation, the passage of the implant to this shortened implantation shape making it possible to gather the valve annulus portion in which said implant is placed. 
         [0014]    In this case, the implant allows performance of an annuloplasty. 
         [0015]    For passage of the implant from its extended shape to its shortened shape, said implant is preferably made of a shape memory material. This implant may in particular be in a nickel and titanium alloy known by the name “nitinol”. 
         [0016]    The implant can also have an invariable or slightly variable length. The implant can then be used to prevent distention of the valve annulus portion in which it is implanted, and/or to form a stiff annular or semi-annular frame, making it possible to implant and anchor a prosthetic valve percutaneously, in particular a prosthetic valve placed on a deployable stent. The implant can also be used to perform an annuloplasty, said actuation means then comprising an abutment integral with the implant and an abutment integral with the catheter; once the implant has been deployed, the abutment integral with the implant meets the abutment integral with the catheter and thus limits the longitudinal progress of the implant without limiting the rotation of said implant; continuing rotation of the implant around its axis after this longitudinal progress limitation causes gathering of the annulus portion in which the implant is placed. 
         [0017]    The implant can comprise coils having a uniform pitch. It can also comprise coils having a varied pitch, said pitch being greater at the distal part of the implant and smaller at the proximal part of the implant. During screwing of an implant of this type in the valve annulus, the proximal coils having the smaller pitch contract the portion of the annulus wherein the distal coils having the greater pitch were previously engaged, thereby causing this portion of the annulus to contract and thus performing an annuloplasty. 
         [0018]    The aforementioned means for actuating the implant comprises a rod rotationally connected to the implant, this connection being releasable to allow, after placement of the implant, separation of said implant from said rod. This releasable connection may in particular consist of a releasable snap-locking arrangement of the rod and the implant, said arrangement being released through axial tension exerted on the rod so as to separate it from the corresponding end of the implant; this can also be done by unscrewing, or other similar releasable connection means. 
         [0019]    Preferably, each guide member is connected to means for its actuation making it possible to rotate the guide member in relation to the catheter. 
         [0020]    This rotation makes it possible to ensure that each guide member is indeed engaged along the edge of the valve annulus connected to the wall comprising said annulus. 
         [0021]    Preferably, the catheter contains two deployable guide members as previously mentioned, a first of which can be engaged on one side of the valve and the second of which can be engaged on the other side of the valve, and the implant is engaged around these two guide members. 
         [0022]    In this way, the implant is guided during its placement by these two guide members, on the two surfaces of the valve annulus. 
         [0023]    Preferably, in this case, the guide member, which is found, once deployed, on the other surface of the valve relative to the catheter, may comprise a bearing portion able to bear against the surface of the valve opposite the catheter, making it possible to pinch this tissue between it and the end of the catheter. 
         [0024]    This pinching makes it possible to ensure stable positioning of the catheter during deployment of the implant. 
         [0025]    This bearing portion may be formed in particular by a distal portion of the guide member, designed to be deployed, which is connected by a bent portion to a proximal portion of the guide member intended to remain in the catheter, said bent portion allowing, after deployment, orientation of said distal portion substantially in the plane of the valve annulus. 
         [0026]    This bent portion may in particular be generated by shape memory, then able to be made of “nitinol”. 
         [0027]    The implant can be placed from the commissure formed by two leaflets adjacent to the treated valve; in this case, when a guide member contained by the catheter must be deployed on the surface of the valve opposite the catheter, this deployment can be done by going through this commissure. 
         [0028]    The implant can also be placed outside a commissure of this type, in which case the catheter, or another catheter comprised by the material, includes a piercing needle for the valve annulus. In particular, in this case, the material comprises a first catheter containing said piercing needle, which is hollow; a guidance wire able to be slid through the needle; a second catheter, containing the aforementioned guide member(s) and implant, the guide member intended to extend on the surface of the valve opposite the second catheter being tubular and engaged on the guidance wire. 
         [0029]    The first catheter makes it possible to perform the piercing and deploy the guidance wire; said guidance wire is left in place and said first catheter and the needle are removed; the second catheter is then introduced while being guided by the guidance wire; said guidance wire makes it possible to guide the guide member during its deployment. 
         [0030]    When the material comprises two guide members each intended to be engaged on one of the surfaces of the valve or the valve annulus, as described above, the guide member intended to be engaged on the surface of the valve opposite the catheter advantageously being tubular and being engaged on this guidance wire. 
         [0031]    Positioning of the catheter and engagement of the guide member on the surface of the valve opposite the catheter are thus done under optimal conditions. 
         [0032]    According to one particular embodiment of the invention, the material comprises a guide member positioned such that it can be deployed on one side of the catheter diametrically opposite that on which another guide member is deployed. 
         [0033]    These diametrically opposed guide members make it possible to ensure perfect positioning of the catheter as close as possible to the valve annulus, without rotating the guide members relative to the catheter, these two diametrically opposed guide members allowing self-shifting of the materials along the wall to which the annulus is connected. 
         [0034]    The percutaneous operating method according to the invention comprises steps consisting of using at least one catheter, comprising at least one guide member able to be deployed from said catheter so as to extend along a portion of the valve annulus of the valve, in the immediate vicinity of said valve annulus, and an implant having a helical shape engaged on said guide member, connected, with the possibility of being separated, to actuation means making it possible to move said implant forward while driving it in rotation along its axis; deploying the implant from the catheter by causing said implant to move forward and driving it in rotation along its axis, said rotation allowing the implant to penetrate the tissue of the valve annulus while being guided along said annulus by said guide member. 
         [0035]    The implant used may be longitudinally compressible and can adopt an extended introduction form and a shortened form making it possible to reduce the length of the annulus portion in which it is implanted. 
         [0036]    The implant used can also have an invariable or slightly variable length, longitudinally. 
         [0037]    In this case, the method may comprise a step consisting, after placement of the implant, of percutaneously implanting and anchoring a prosthetic valve. 
         [0038]    The implant used may also comprise coils having an inconstant pitch, said pitch being larger at the distal part of the implant and smaller at the proximal part of said implant. 
         [0039]    The method according to the invention may also comprise steps consisting of deploying a first guide member and a second guide member, on the surface of the valve facing the catheter and on the surface of the valve opposite the catheter, respectively; positioning the two guide members in relation to each other so as to hold the valve tissue between the guide members. 
         [0040]    The method according to the invention may also comprise steps consisting of introducing the catheter at the commissure formed by two leaflets adjacent to the valve, and deploying a deployable member through said commissure. 
         [0041]    The method according to the invention may also comprise steps consisting of introducing, outside the commissures formed by the leaflets of the valve, a catheter including a piercing needle for the valve annulus; piercing the valve annulus using said needle; removing the needle and deploying, through the hole made by said needle, a guide member designed to be placed on the side of the valve opposite the catheter. 
         [0042]    In this case, the method may in particular comprise steps consisting of piercing said hole using a first catheter containing said needle; introducing, after piercing said hole, a guidance wire through this hole; leaving this guidance wire in place and removing said first catheter as well as the needle; and introducing a second catheter, containing the aforementioned guidance wire(s) and implant, one of the guide members being tubular and engaged on the guidance wire. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0043]    The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, further serve to explain the principles of the invention and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention. The drawings are not to scale. 
           [0044]    The invention will be well-understood, and other characteristics and advantages thereof will appear, in reference to the appended diagrammatic drawing, illustrating, as non-limiting examples, several possible embodiments of the material it concerns. 
           [0045]      FIG. 1  is a partial cross-section of a heart, in which a first catheter is introduced up to the mitral valve. 
           [0046]      FIG. 2  is a cross-section of this valve, after piercing of a hole through the valve annulus, and of the first catheter. 
           [0047]      FIGS. 3 to 8  are diagrammatic views of the material according to a first embodiment, and of a portion of the mitral valve, during the various successive steps in placing an implant to treat this valve.; 
           [0048]      FIGS. 9 to 12  are very simplified diagrammatic views of four steps in placing the implant according to a second embodiment. 
           [0049]      FIGS. 13 and 14  are principle views of two steps in placing an implant according to another embodiment. 
           [0050]      FIGS. 15 and 16  are very simplified diagrammatic views, perspective and top views, respectively, of the material according to yet another embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0051]    Specific embodiments of the present invention are now described with reference to the figures, wherein like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. The terms “distal” and “proximal” are used in the following description with respect to a position or direction relative to the treating clinician. “Distal” or “distally” are a position distant from or in a direction away from the clinician. “Proximal” and “proximally” are a position near or in a direction toward the clinician. 
         [0052]    The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Although the description of embodiments hereof are in the context of treatment of blood vessels such as the coronary, carotid and renal arteries, the invention may also be used in any other body passageways where it is deemed useful. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description. 
         [0053]    For simplification, the parts or elements of one embodiment which are found identically or similarly in another embodiment will be identified using the same numeric references and will not be described again. 
         [0054]      FIGS. 1 to 8  illustrate a material for treating a heart valve, in particular a mitral valve  101  of a heart  100  (cf.  FIG. 1 ), which comprises a first catheter  1 , diagrammatically illustrated in  FIG. 2 , and a second catheter diagrammatically illustrated in any of  FIGS. 3 to 12 . 
         [0055]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the first catheter  1  is introduced through the aorta  102 , then bears against the heart wall at the ventricle  103  and is directed such that its free end is positioned at the valve  101 , immediately below the annulus  104  thereof, as shown by  FIG. 2 . 
         [0056]    Said catheter  1  contains a hollow needle  5  which, once the catheter has been positioned, is slid into the catheter  1  until it goes through the annulus  104 . A guidance wire  6  is then slid inside the needle  5  until it goes past the auricular side of the valve  101 . 
         [0057]    The catheter  1  is then removed from the heart  100 , without removing the wire  6 , then the catheter  2  is introduced along said wire  6  until it in turn arrives against the valve  101  of the ventricular side (cf.  FIGS. 3 and 4 ). 
         [0058]    As shown by these  FIGS. 3 and 4 , said catheter  2  contains two deployable guide members  10 ,  11 , an implant  12  having a helical shape and an actuating rod  13  connected to one end of the implant  12  with a rotating connection (for clarity of the drawing, the body of the catheter  2  is shown as being transparent). 
         [0059]    The guide member  10  is tubular and is engaged on the wire  6 , thus making it possible to guide the catheter  2  to the aforementioned position. It appears in  FIG. 4  that this guide member  10  is designed to be engaged on the auricular side of the valve  101 , through the hole  105  previously made by the needle  5 . 
         [0060]    The other guide member  11  is not tubular and is engaged in a lateral zone of the catheter  2 , leading to the outside through a lateral opening  15  separate from the main end opening  16  of said catheter  2 . Said guide member  11  is designed to be engaged on the ventricular side of the valve  101 , through said lateral opening  15 . 
         [0061]    The distal part  10   a  of the guide member  10  intended to be deployed from the auricular side of the valve  101  is in a shape memory material. As shown in  FIG. 5 , once deployed, it assumes a bent shape, by shape memory. 
         [0062]    It is shown in this  FIG. 5  that the guide members  10  and  11  can be rotated relative to the catheter  2 , along the axis of said catheter  2 , such that, by this rotational movement, their parts  10   a,    11   a  deployed outside the catheter  2  can be engaged at the bottom of the above-annular and sub-annular groove formed by the annulus  104  of the valve  101 .  FIG. 5  also shows that the guide member  10  can, once its distal portion  10   a  has adopted said bent shape, be slid into the catheter  2  in the proximal direction while the guide member  11  is either kept in position or slid in this same catheter  2  in the distal direction. The result, as shown in  FIG. 6 , is pinching of the valve tissue  101 , along the annulus  104 , which ensures that the catheter  2  is held perfectly in position. 
         [0063]    As shown in  FIGS. 3 to 8 , the implant  12  is engaged both around the guide member  10  and around the guide member  11 . Once the aforementioned immobilization of the catheter  2  has taken place, the implant  12  is moved forward using the rod  13  and is simultaneously driven in rotation in the direction of screwing of its coils. The distal end of this implant  12  is self-tapping, such that the implant  12  penetrates the tissue forming the annulus  104  (cf.  FIG. 6 ). 
         [0064]      FIG. 7  shows that the implant  12  is thus “screwed” into the tissue of the annulus  104  until an abutment  20  located at the proximal end of the implant  12  meets the tissue of the annulus  104 . 
         [0065]    The rod  13  is connected to this abutment  20  with separation possibility, for example by a releasable snap-locking arrangement and, once the implant  12  has been completely placed (cf.  FIG. 8 ), suitable tension is exerted on the rod  13  so as to separate it from the abutment  20 . 
         [0066]    In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 3 to 8 , the implant  12  is in a shape memory material and is such that before heating by the patient&#39;s organism, it adopts a longitudinally extended shape and once heated by the organism, it contracts longitudinally, the pitch of its coils decreasing, as appears in  FIG. 8 . This reduction in pitch makes it possible to contract the tissue of the annulus  104 , which performs, in whole or in part, an annuloplasty, i.e. a reduction of a distention of the annulus  104 . 
         [0067]    After placement of the implant  12 , the guide members  10  and  11  are removed by sliding, then the catheter  2  is removed, as is the guidance wire  6 . 
         [0068]      FIGS. 9 to 12  show, very diagrammatically, another embodiment of the material according to the invention, in which the implant  12  has a substantially invariable length. For clarity of the drawing, the guide members  10  and  11  were not illustrated. 
         [0069]    In this case, the catheter  2  and the actuating rod  13  comprise respective abutment surfaces  22  and  23 , which meet at the end of introduction of the implant  12  in the annulus  104 , this meeting blocking the forward motion of the implant  12 , but not preventing said implant  12  from being driven in rotation along its axis. 
         [0070]    From the position shown in  FIG. 9 , the implant  12  is introduced into the annulus  104 , until the abutment  23  arrives against the abutment  22  (cf.  FIG. 10 ); the abutment  20  is, in this embodiment, equipped with anchors  20   a  able to penetrate the tissue of the annulus  104  and, in this same position, these anchors  20   a  are found near the wall of the annulus  104 , but without penetrating said wall. 
         [0071]    Rotation of the implant  12  along its axis is then continued, which, in light of the longitudinal immobilization of said implant  12 , causes movement, in the proximal direction of the catheter  2 , of portions of the annulus  104  gone through by the respective coils of the implant  12 . This movement makes it possible to compress the tissue forming said annulus  104  and, simultaneously, to cause the anchors  20   a  to penetrate the wall of this tissue, ensuring the immobilization of the implant  12  in rotation (cf.  FIG. 11 ). 
         [0072]    The abutment  20  can then be separated from the rod  13 , as previously described (cf.  FIG. 12 ). 
         [0073]      FIGS. 13 and 14  show a third embodiment of the material according to the invention, in which the implant  12  comprises coils having an inconsistent pitch, this pitch being larger at the coils  12   a  located in the distal part of the implant  12  and smaller at the coils  12   b  located in the proximal part of this implant. 
         [0074]    As can be understood from comparing  FIGS. 13 and 14 , during screwing of the implant  12  into the annulus  104 , the proximal coils  12   b  having the smaller pitch contract the portion of the annulus  104  wherein the distal coils having the larger pitch were previously engaged, thereby causing this portion of the annulus  104  to contract and thus performing an annuloplasty. 
         [0075]      FIGS. 15 and 16  show a variation of an embodiment of the material, in which the catheter  2  comprises, in addition to the guide members  10  and  11 , a third guide member  25 , diametrically opposite the guide member  11 . This guide member  25  can be deployed through an opening  26  of said catheter  2  diametrically opposite the opening  15 . 
         [0076]    These two guide members  11 ,  25  make it possible to ensure perfect positioning of the catheter  2  as close as possible to the annulus  104 , as shown in  FIG. 16 . 
         [0077]    As appears from the preceding, the invention provides a material for treating a heart valve, in particular a mitral valve of a heart, that is fully satisfactory and makes it possible to conduct either annuloplasties or reinforcements of the valve annulus under optimal conditions. 
         [0078]    It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the embodiment described above as an example, but that it extends to all forms of embodiments covered by the appended claims. 
         [0079]    While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented only as illustrations and examples of the present invention, and not by way of limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the appended claims and their equivalents. It will also be understood that each feature of each embodiment discussed herein, and of each reference cited herein, can be used in combination with the features of any other embodiment. All patents and publications discussed herein are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.