Patent ID: 7938827

Claim:
A method for treating a valvular annulus, comprising: (a) introducing percutaneously a medical device system into a patient's heart in a vicinity of a heart valve needing repair, the medical device system comprising: a guide catheter configured for delivery through the patient's vasculature to the vicinity of the heart valve comprising opposing leaflets and an annulus; a spiral wire electrode reversibly extendable through the guide catheter that applies non-ablative energy for shrinking the annulus; a leaflet fastening applicator sized for intravascular delivery and reversibly extendable through the guide catheter to the vicinity of the heart valve, the leaflet fastening applicator comprising: a first grasping electrode element; and an opposing second grasping electrode element, wherein the first and second grasping electrode elements are adapted to apply non-ablative energy; (b) deploying the spiral wire electrode from the guide catheter such that it contacts at least a portion of the annulus; (c) applying non-ablative energy with the spiral wire electrode to shrink the portion of the annulus contacted by the spiral wire electrode; (d) engaging portions of the opposing leaflets with the first and second grasping electrode elements of the leaflet fastening applicator to releasably capture and hold close together the portions of the opposing leaflets; and (e) applying non-ablative energy with the first and second grasping electrode elements to fasten together the portions of the opposing leaflets engaged by the first and second grasping electrode elements.