Aortic valve holder with stent protection and/or ability to decrease valve profile

Abstract

A valve holder is connectable to a prosthetic valve including a stent having a plurality of commissure posts. The valve includes a base, a plurality of legs extending from the base, and one of several mechanisms for deflecting the plurality of commissure posts radially inward so as to temporarily decrease the overall size of the prosthetic valve.

1 . A holder adapted for connection to a prosthetic valve in an assembled condition, the prosthetic valve including a stent having a plurality of commissure posts, the holder comprising:
 a base;   a plurality of legs extending in a direction from a first end connected to the base toward a free end, the direction including a component in an axial direction; and   a hub extending from the base in the axial direction, the hub having a plurality of pads extending radially outward and defining a circle having a hub diameter,   wherein the commissure posts of the stent define a circle having a stent diameter, the stent diameter being greater than the hub diameter.   
     
     
         2 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein, in the assembled condition, each of the pads is adapted to align with a respective one of the commissure posts. 
     
     
         3 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein the base includes a shaft extending in the axial direction; and
 the hub includes a bore defined by a wall of the hub, the bore being configured to slidingly mate with the shaft.   
     
     
         4 . The holder of  claim 3 , wherein the shaft includes a resilient tab and the wall of the hub includes an aperture configured to matingly receive the tab in an assembled relationship. 
     
     
         5 . A holder adapted for connection to a prosthetic valve in an assembled condition, the prosthetic valve including a stent having a plurality of commissure posts, the holder comprising:
 a base;   a plurality of legs extending in a direction from a first end connected to the base toward a free end, the direction including a component in an axial direction;   a ring holder extending radially outward from each one of the plurality of legs; and   a wire ring having a central axis and a plurality of substantially straight sides joined by a plurality of connectors, the plurality of substantially straight sides being spaced closer to the central axis than the plurality of connectors, the wire ring being mounted in the plurality of ring holders so as to surround the plurality of commissure posts and being rotatable about the central axis, the rotation of the wire ring causing the substantially straight sides of the wire ring to contact the commissure posts and deflect the commissure posts radially inward.   
     
     
         6 . The holder of  claim 5 , wherein the prosthetic valve has a constricted configuration and an unconstricted configuration, each of the plurality of connectors being positioned radially outward of a respective one of the commissure posts and the plurality of commissure posts defining a circle having an unconstricted diameter in the unconstricted configuration, and each of the plurality of substantially straight sides being positioned radially outward of a respective one of the commissure posts and the plurality of commissure posts defining a circle having a constricted diameter in the constricted configuration, the constricted diameter being smaller than the unconstricted diameter. 
     
     
         7 . The holder of  claim 6 , wherein the prosthetic valve includes three commissure posts, and the wire ring is generally triangular with three connectors and three substantially straight sides. 
     
     
         8 . A holder adapted for connection to a prosthetic valve in an assembled condition, the prosthetic valve including a stent having a plurality of commissure posts, the holder comprising:
 a base;   a plurality of legs extending in a direction from a first end connected to the base toward a free end, the direction including a component in an axial direction; and   a finger pivotably coupled to each one of the plurality of legs.   
     
     
         9 . The holder of  claim 8 , wherein each one of the fingers is arcuate with a concave surface and a convex surface, the concave surface being adapted to contact one of the plurality of commissure posts. 
     
     
         10 . The holder of  claim 9 , wherein the convex surface of each one of the fingers includes a groove and at least one retaining element extending across the groove. 
     
     
         11 . The holder of  claim 10 , further comprising a suture extending between the groove and the at least one retaining element of each one of the fingers, the suture having a tensioned state and a relaxed state. 
     
     
         12 . The holder of  claim 11 , wherein each one of the fingers is positioned radially outward of a respective one of the commissure posts and the plurality of commissure posts define a circle having an unconstricted diameter in the relaxed state of the suture, and each one of the fingers is positioned radially outward of a respective one of the commissure posts and the plurality of commissure posts define a circle having a constricted diameter in the tensioned state of the suture, the constricted diameter being smaller than the unconstricted diameter. 
     
     
         13 . The holder of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a plurality of teeth associated with each one of the plurality of legs; and   a pawl on each one of the fingers, the pawl being adapted to engage respective ones of the plurality of teeth to temporarily lock the finger in a fixed position relative to a respective one of the commissure posts.   
     
     
         14 . The holder of  claim 13 , wherein each one of the fingers is configured to move independently of the other ones of the fingers. 
     
     
         15 . The holder of  claim 13 , wherein each one of the pawls is configured to mate with successive ones of the plurality of teeth in an incremental fashion, such that as the pawl moves from one of the plurality of teeth to an adjacent one of the plurality of teeth, the concave surface of the finger applies increasing force to deflect the respective one of the commissure posts radially inward. 
     
     
         16 . A holder adapted for connection to a prosthetic valve in an assembled condition, the prosthetic valve including a stent having a plurality of commissure posts, the holder comprising:
 a base having a plurality of radially oriented bores;   a plurality of legs extending in a direction from a first end connected to the base toward a free end, the direction including a component in a first axial direction; and   a plurality of fingers extending radially outward from the base, each one of the fingers including a rod-like portion slidably disposed in one of the radially oriented bores and a tip extending generally orthogonal to the rod-like portion.   
     
     
         17 . The holder of  claim 16 , wherein each one of the rod-like portions includes a protrusion and the base includes a plurality of recesses arranged in multiple series, each series of recesses being associated with one of the radially oriented bores and being arranged in a linear array radially aligned with a respective one of the rod-like portions, the protrusion of the rod-like portion being configured to mate with the plurality of recesses in the series. 
     
     
         18 . The holder of  claim 17 , wherein each one of the fingers is movable from a first position in which the protrusion of the rod-like member mates with a first one of the recesses in the series to a second position in which the protrusion of the rod-like portion mates with a second one of the recesses in the series. 
     
     
         19 . The holder of  claim 18 , wherein each one of the tips is positioned radially outward of a respective one of the commissure posts and the plurality of commissure posts define a circle having an unconstricted diameter when each one of the fingers is in the first position, and the plurality of commissure posts define a circle having a constricted diameter when each one of the fingers is in the second position, the constricted diameter being smaller than the unconstricted diameter.