Patent ID: 8771302

Claim:
Apparatus for resecting a diseased heart valve of a heart, the apparatus comprising: an elongate member to allow the apparatus to be positioned in the heart, the elongate member having a distal end; a selectively expandable portion having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the selectively expandable portion is positioned at the distal end of the elongate member, the selectively expandable portion defines a longitudinal axis from the proximal end to the distal end and is selectively expandable from a first position having a given width in a perpendicular direction to the longitudinal axis to a second position having a larger width in the perpendicular direction to the longitudinal axis; and at least one cutting element, for cutting the diseased heart valve, disposed on the elongate member wherein the at least one cutting element is moved from the first position to the second position by the selectively expandable portion; wherein the selectively expandable portion has a first opening extending into the proximal end, and the selectively expandable portion having a given width from the first opening to an outer surface in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the selectively expandable portion, the given width configured to prevent a wall of a cardiovascular structure from being cut by the cutting element disposed on the elongate member that is within the first opening and to permit the apparatus to be placed within the diseased valve, wherein the selectively expandable portion comprises at least three expandable arms and the at least one cutting element is disposed on at least one of the at least three expandable arms, wherein at least one of the at least three expandable arms having the cutting element disposed thereon defines a window recess therein having a given depth from an outer surface, and further wherein the cutting element is disposed in the window recess.