Patent ID: 8500800

Claim:
A method, comprising: advancing a distal end of an inner shaft of a delivery tool between leaflets of an atrioventricular valve of a patient and to a tissue site of a ventricle of the patient, the distal end of the inner shaft being reversibly coupled to a tissue anchor, at least a portion of the inner shaft being surrounded by a surrounding shaft coupled at a portion thereof to at least one leaflet-engaging element holder, the leaflet-engaging-element holder being shaped to define at least one coupling site for reversibly coupling at least one leaflet-engaging element to the tool; anchoring the tissue anchor at the tissue site using the distal end of the inner shaft; sliding the surrounding shaft of the delivery tool with respect to the distal end of the inner shaft, in a manner in which a distal portion of the surrounding shaft moves toward the leaflets, and the leaflet-engaging holder is positioned in a vicinity of at least one leaflet of the atrioventricular valve; using the surrounding shaft, engaging at least one of the leaflets with the at least one leaflet-engaging element; and after engaging, proximally withdrawing the distal end of the inner shaft from within the ventricle.