Patent ID: 6978176

Claim:
A minimally invasive method of treating a patient heart having mitral valve regurgitation from a left ventricle, comprising: a. forming a small passageway in the patient's left ventricular wall defining in part the patient's left ventricle; b. seating a valve into the passageway formed in the left ventricular wall; c. advancing grasping device through the valve into the left ventricle; d. advancing an expendable member through the valve, through the left ventricle, through the mitral valve into a left atrium distal to the mitral valve; e. expanding the expandable member within the left atrium and engaging leaflets of the mitral valve and guiding the leaflets to a grasping location; f. grasping the leaflets in the grasping location with the grasping device; and g. securing together free edges of the leaflets grasped with one or more connecting members.