Patent ID: 8252050

Claim:
Apparatus, comprising: a rotatable structure having a first end shaped to define a first opening, and a second end shaped to define a second opening, the rotatable structure being shaped to define a channel extending from the first opening to the second opening, the channel being configured for passage therethrough of an elongate tool, and the second end of the rotatable structure having a lower surface thereof shaped to define one or more recesses; a mechanical element having a surface coupled to the lower surface of the rotatable structure, the mechanical element being shaped to provide: a protrusion protruding out of a plane of the surface of the mechanical element, the protrusion being disposed within one of the recesses during a resting state of the mechanical element, in a manner that restricts rotation of the rotatable structure, and a depressible portion coupled to the protrusion, the depressible portion being disposed in communication with the second opening of the second end, and configured to dislodge the protrusion from within the recess in response to a force applied to the depressible portion by the elongate tool; and a flexible, longitudinal member having first and second end portions thereof, at least the first end portion of the longitudinal member being coupled to the rotatable structure in a manner in which, as a result of rotation of the rotatable structure: the first end portion of the longitudinal member advances with respect to the rotatable structure, and a configuration of the longitudinal member changes, wherein: the longitudinal member comprises an implant comprising an artificial chorda tendinea, and the apparatus is for adjusting at least one dimension of the implant, the rotatable structure is implantable at a first portion of tissue facing a ventricular lumen of a ventricle of a patient, the second end portion of the longitudinal member is couplable to at least one leaflet of an atrioventricular valve of the patient, and the rotatable structure is rotatable to advance the first end portion of the longitudinal member with respect to the rotatable structure, in a manner which alters a distance between the second end portion of the longitudinal member and the rotatable structure.