Patent ID: 8894704

Claim:
A catheter comprising: a) an elongate body having a proximal end and a distal end; b) a retractable sheath mounted on the elongate body proximate the distal end, the sheath and elongate body cooperating to define a first compartment therebetween for receiving a valve prosthesis; c) a first elongate generally rigid linkage extending from a proximal region of the compartment toward the proximal end of the catheter; d) a second elongate, generally rigid linkage extending from a distal region of the compartment toward the proximal end of the catheter; and e) a valve prosthesis for replacing a portion of a lumenal valve, the valve prosthesis including a leaflet attached to a deformable structural circumferential portion mounted in the compartment, the deformable structural circumferential portion of the valve prosthesis having a curved shape when fully deployed and having a first circumferential end and a second circumferential end separated by a gap that is spanned at least in part by the leaflet, the deformable structural circumferential portion having a proximal portion near the first circumferential end attached to the first linkage and a distal portion near the second circumferential end attached to the second linkage, wherein: i) the deployable valve prosthesis can be arranged into a first configuration wherein the deformable structural circumferential portion is generally straight and in an elongate orientation that is generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the catheter when the valve prosthesis is disposed within the compartment between the elongate body and retractable sheath; and ii) the deployable valve prosthesis can be deployed from the first configuration into a second configuration wherein the deformable structural circumferential portion is curved and disposed in a plane generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the catheter after the sheath is withdrawn.