Patent ID: 8808370

Claim:
A method, the method comprising the steps of: providing an apparatus for reducing recoil of a prosthetic valve after it has been crimped on to a balloon member, the apparatus comprising: a prosthetic valve configured to be crimped from an expanded diameter to a crimped diameter, the prosthetic valve comprising a stent and a flexible membrane made of pericardium, the flexible membrane sutured to the stent and adapted for permitting blood flow in a first direction and substantially resisting flow in a second direction; a tube coupled to a distal section of an elongated shaft and adapted for covering the prosthetic valve, the tube having a first diameter in an uncompressed state and a second diameter in a compressed state, the tube having a distal end portion comprising one or more slits adapted to permit the distal end of the tube to flare outwardly in the uncompressed state for facilitating ejection of the prosthetic valve from the tube; a balloon catheter comprising a balloon member along a distal end portion, the balloon member having an external surface configured to receive the prosthetic valve in the crimped state, the balloon catheter advanceable through a lumen of the elongated shaft and tube; a compressing member adapted to compress the tube from the first diameter to the second diameter when the compressing member is advanced over the tube, the compressing member adapted for reducing recoil of the prosthetic valve after it has been crimped on to the balloon member; and a crimper suitable for radially crimping the prosthetic valve disposed within the distal end portion of the tube; crimping the prosthetic valve onto the balloon catheter using the crimper to provide a partially crimped prosthetic valve; advancing the distal end portion of the tube over the partially crimped prosthetic valve; crimping the partially crimped prosthetic valve and distal end portion of the tube using the crimper to provide the crimped prosthetic valve; advancing the compressing member over the distal end portion of the tube and crimped prosthetic valve; delivering the crimped prosthetic valve to a location within a native aortic valve of a patient while the crimped prosthetic valve is surrounded by the tube and compressing member; retracting the compressing member relative to the tube for allowing the distal end portion of the tube to flare outwardly; advancing the balloon catheter relative to the tube for advancing the crimped prosthetic valve out of the tube; and inflating the balloon member for expanding the crimped prosthetic valve within the native valve of the patient.