Patent ID: 8568472

Claim:
An apparatus for delivering a prosthetic valve through the vasculature of a patient comprising: a crimped prosthetic valve comprising a stent portion supporting a valve structure; a balloon catheter comprising an elongated shaft, a balloon connected to a distal end portion of the shaft, the balloon being adapted to carry the prosthetic valve in a crimped state and being inflatable to deploy the prosthetic valve at an implantation site in the patient's body, the elongate shaft of the balloon catheter further comprising a distal end portion extending distally of the balloon and an annular tapered wedge secured to the distal end portion of the elongate shaft, the tapered wedge distal of the balloon, the tapered wedge having a narrower distal end and a wider proximal end, the tapered wedge dimensioned to expand the crimped prosthetic valve when the prosthetic valve is urged thereagainst, the crimped prosthetic valve disposed on the distal end portion of the balloon catheter distal of the tapered wedge; a guide catheter comprising an elongated shaft extending over the balloon catheter shaft, the shaft of the guide catheter comprising a selectively steerable section for facilitating advancement through the vasculature of the patient, the guide catheter further comprising an adjustment mechanism operatively coupled to the steerable section, the adjustment mechanism being configured to adjust the curvature of the steerable section and the portion of the balloon catheter shaft extending through the steerable section, movement of the adjustment mechanism causing a substantially 1:1 movement of the steerable section; a nose catheter comprising an elongated shaft extending through the balloon catheter shaft and a nose piece connected to a distal end of the nose catheter shaft, the nose piece having a shoulder dimensioned to engage a distal end of the crimped prosthetic valve during delivery of the prosthetic valve, the nose piece having an outer layer and an inner layer, the outer layer softer than the inner layer; and a cover secured to and extending distally from the distal end of the guide catheter, the cover and nose piece dimensioned to cover the crimped prosthetic valve and the balloon, wherein the balloon catheter, the guide catheter, and the nose catheter are configured to move longitudinally relative to each other such that the cover may be advanced relative to the prosthetic valve for exposing the prosthetic valve, the balloon catheter may be advanced relative to the nose catheter to push the crimped prosthetic valve over the tapered wedge and onto the balloon, and the balloon catheter may be advanced relative to the guide catheter for deploying the prosthetic valve at a treatment site.