Patent ID: 7758596

Claim:
A valve repair apparatus for percutaneously repairing a heart valve having leaflets, the valve repair apparatus comprising: an insertion device having a control wire, a distal end configured for percutaneous insertion into a heart of a patient through a blood vessel, and a holder at the distal end in functional communication with the control wire; and separate, first and second closure members releasably coupled to the holder at the distal end of the insertion device, wherein the first and second closure members together comprise a separate, deployable fastener, releasable from the holder, wherein the closure members each comprise a grasping surface for coapting the valve leaflets along a length of the valve leaflets when the grasping surfaces are placed about exterior surfaces of the valve leaflets, wherein the control wire may be operated to fully close said grasping surfaces to engage the exterior surfaces of the valve leaflets to permit assessment of the valve repair and thereafter be operated to open the grasping surfaces to permit repositioning of the grasping surfaces of the fastener along its longitudinal axis prior to securing distal sections of the leaflets together or substantially adjacent to each other, and wherein the first and second closure members are adjustably secured together or substantially adjacent to each other to secure valve leaflets together to repair the heart valve.