Material for treatment of a heart valve, in particular a mitral valve

Abstract

This material comprises an annuloplasty member able to be introduced using a catheter through minimally invasive vascular access, then to be delivered by said catheter and fixed to the valve annulus. According to the invention, it includes at least one catheter comprising at least one guide member able to be deployed from said catheter such that it extends along one portion of the valve annulus of the valve, in the immediate proximity of said valve annulus, and an implant having a helical shape engaged on said guide member, connected, with separation possibility, to actuation means making it possible to cause this implant to move forward while driving it in rotation around its axis; the implant can thus be deployed from the catheter while being simultaneously moved forward and driven in rotation along its axis.

1 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A percutaneous operating method for treatment of a heart valve, the method comprising:
 introducing an annuloplasty member into a heart valve using a catheter through minimally invasive vascular access, wherein the annuloplasty member has an extended shape during the step of introducing the implant into the heart valve;   deploying the annuloplasty member from the catheter; and   implanting the annuloplasty member such that the annuloplasty member penetrates tissue of a valve annulus of the heart valve,   wherein the annuloplasty member has a shortened shape after implantation and tissue of the valve annulus of the heart valve is contracted when the annuloplasty member transitions from the extended shape to the shortened shape such that the annuloplasty member reduces a distention of the valve annulus.   
     
     
         28 . The percutaneous operating method of  claim 27 , wherein an actuator is releasably connected to an end of the annuloplasty member and wherein the actuator moves the annuloplasty member during the step of implanting the annuloplasty member. 
     
     
         29 . The percutaneous operating method of  claim 28 , further comprising the step of:
 separating the actuator from the annuloplasty member after the step of implanting the annuloplasty member.   
     
     
         30 . The percutaneous operating method of  claim 27 , wherein the annuloplasty member forms an annular frame after the step of implanting the annuloplasty member. 
     
     
         31 . The percutaneous operating method of  claim 30 , further comprising the step of percutaneously implanting a prosthetic valve into the annular frame formed by the annuloplasty member. 
     
     
         32 . The percutaneous operating method of  claim 27 , wherein the annuloplasty member forms a semi-annular frame after the step of implanting the annuloplasty member. 
     
     
         33 . The percutaneous operating method of  claim 32 , further comprising the step of percutaneously implanting a prosthetic valve into the semi-annular frame formed by the annuloplasty member. 
     
     
         34 . The percutaneous operating method of  claim 27 , wherein the annuloplasty member is formed from a shape memory material that transitions from the extended shape to the shortened shape. 
     
     
         35 . The percutaneous operating method of  claim 34 , wherein the annuloplasty member is a coil and a pitch of the coil decreases when the coil transitions from the extended shape to the shortened shape. 
     
     
         36 . The percutaneous operating method of  claim 35 , wherein the step of deploying the annuloplasty member includes causing the coil to move forward and driving it in rotation along its axis. 
     
     
         37 . The percutaneous operating method of  claim 27 , wherein the heart valve is a mitral valve. 
     
     
         38 . A percutaneous operating method for treatment of a heart valve, the method comprising:
 introducing an annuloplasty member into a heart valve using a catheter through minimally invasive vascular access, wherein an actuator is releasably connected to an end of the annuloplasty member;   deploying the annuloplasty member from the catheter;   implanting the annuloplasty member such that the annuloplasty member penetrates tissue of a valve annulus of the heart valve;   moving the annuloplasty member via the actuator to cause tissue of the valve annulus of the heart valve to contract such that the annuloplasty member a reduces a distention of the valve annulus.   
     
     
         39 . The percutaneous operating method of  claim 38 , further comprising the step of:
 separating the actuator from the annuloplasty member after the step of moving the annuloplasty member.   
     
     
         40 . The percutaneous operating method of  claim 38 , wherein the annuloplasty member forms an annular frame after the step of implanting the annuloplasty member. 
     
     
         41 . The percutaneous operating method of  claim 40 , further comprising the step of percutaneously implanting a prosthetic valve into the annular frame formed by the annuloplasty member. 
     
     
         42 . The percutaneous operating method of  claim 38 , wherein the annuloplasty member forms a semi-annular frame after the step of implanting the annuloplasty member. 
     
     
         43 . The percutaneous operating method of  claim 42 , further comprising the step of percutaneously implanting a prosthetic valve into the semi-annular frame formed by the annuloplasty member. 
     
     
         44 . The percutaneous operating method of  claim 34 , wherein the annuloplasty member is a coil and the step of deploying the annuloplasty member includes causing the coil to move forward and driving it in rotation along its axis. 
     
     
         45 . The percutaneous operating method of  claim 44 , wherein the step of moving the annuloplasty member includes further causing the coil to move forward and driving it in rotation along its axis after longitudinal advancement of the coil is restricted when a first abutment surface of the catheter meets a second abutment surface of the actuator. 
     
     
         46 . The percutaneous operating method of  claim 38 , wherein the heart valve is a mitral valve.