Patent ID: 7634319

Claim:
A method of placing a medical implant, the method comprising the steps of: inserting a medical implant ( 12 ) through an opening ( 17 ) in a body portion ( 16 ) of an anchor ( 10 ) from which a set of arms ( 22 ) extend; coupling at least a first guidewire ( 40 ) to a first portion ( 32 ) of the anchor ( 10 ) and coupling at least a second guidewire ( 42 ) to a second portion ( 34 ) of the anchor that is disposed between the body and first portions ( 16 , 32 ) of the anchor ( 10 ), the anchor having an axis that is coaxial with the first and second guidewires; placing an end of a delivery catheter ( 44 ) through an internal wall of a human body; inserting the anchor in the delivery catheter with the first and second guidewires so as to place the anchor within the internal wall, cause the arms ( 22 ) of the anchor to protrude in a first direction from the end of the delivery catheter, and then cause the arms ( 22 ) to extend substantially radially from the anchor; retracting the first and second guidewires through the delivery catheter in a second direction opposite the first direction, the first and second guidewires being retracted so that the arms ( 22 ) of the anchor contact a first side of the internal wall; retracting the delivery catheter to release a plurality of members ( 24 ) coupled to the first portion ( 32 ) of the anchor ( 10 ), wherein releasing the members ( 24 ) causes the members ( 24 ) to extend substantially radially from the anchor ( 10 ), causes a leg ( 28 ) of each of the members ( 24 ) to move in the first direction into contact with an oppositely-disposed second side of the internal wall so as to secure the anchor and the medical implant received therein to the internal wall, and causes the first portion ( 32 ) of the anchor with the first guidewire ( 40 ) coupled thereto to travel toward the second portion ( 34 ) of the anchor; decoupling the first guidewire ( 40 ) from the first portion ( 32 ) of the anchor; and then decoupling the second guidewire ( 42 ) from the second portion ( 34 ) of the anchor.