Patent ID: 7901454

Claim:
An apparatus for treating regurgitation of blood through a diseased heart valve having at least two leaflets, said apparatus comprising: an occluding member configured to be positioned within the diseased heart valve so that at least a portion of said occluding member is positioned adjacent to one of the at least two leaflets of the heart valve, said portion contacting at least one surface of said at least one leaflet; said occluding member being dimensioned so that, during at least a portion of the cardiac cycle, said at least one leaflet abuts said at least one surface of said occluding member to mitigate regurgitation of blood through the heart valve; a suspending wire operatively attached to said occluding member and configured to facilitate positioning of said occluding member within the heart valve, said suspending wire including a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the distance between said proximal and distal end portions comprising an intermediate portion; and said suspending wire comprising an anchoring portion, said anchoring portion comprising a septal occluder located at said intermediate portion of said suspending wire, said anchoring portion being configured to secure said suspending wire to an interatrial septum surrounding a heart chamber containing the heart valve; a safety wire operatively connected between said occluding member and said anchoring portion, said safety wire being coiled around said suspending wire; said safety wire being sufficiently flexible so as to not be subjected to the stress and strain of said suspending wire.