Method for stabilizing a cardiac valve annulus

Abstract

A method for stabilizing a cardiac valve annulus is provided. The method includes intravascularly delivering a prosthesis to a region of a cardiac valve, expanding the prosthesis to secure the prosthesis to the region of the cardiac valve, and reducing the inner diameter of the prosthesis to form the region of the cardiac valve into a predefined shape.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method for reshaping a heart valve comprising:
 positioning a prosthesis in a compressed configuration at a location of the heart valve, the prosthesis including a ring and a plurality of anchor members adjacent an end of the ring;   expanding the prosthesis to a deployment configuration;   driving the anchor members into tissue surrounding the heart valve; and   after the prosthesis is expanded with the anchors in the tissue, reducing an inner diameter of the prosthesis to a resting configuration to reshape the valve annulus,   wherein the prosthesis in the radially compressed configuration has a first diameter smaller than a second diameter of the prosthesis in the resting configuration which is smaller than a third diameter of the prosthesis in the deployment configuration.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the ring is formed of a shape memory material. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the step of reducing the inner diameter of the ring to the resting configuration is achieved by the ring self-contracting to the resting configuration due to the shape-memory material. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein with the prosthesis in the compressed configuration the anchor members are parallel with a central longitudinal axis of the ring. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the ring is a serpentine ring including a plurality of struts joined together by a plurality of apexes. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the anchor members comprise barbs. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the anchor members are disposed only at a distal end of the ring. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the ring is a closed ring. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the heart valve is a mitral valve. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the tissue is an annulus of the mitral valve. 
     
     
         31 . A method for reshaping a mitral valve comprising:
 positioning a prosthesis in a compressed configuration into a left atrium, the prosthesis including a ring and a plurality of anchors adjacent a distal end of the ring, wherein the ring in the compressed configuration has a first diameter;   expanding the prosthesis to a deployment configuration such that the ring has a second diameter larger than the first diameter;   driving the anchors into tissue surrounding the mitral valve; and   after the prosthesis is expanded with the anchors in the tissue, reducing an inner diameter of the ring to a resting configuration having a third diameter larger than the first diameter and smaller than the second diameter.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the ring is formed of a shape memory material. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the step of reducing the inner diameter of the ring to the resting configuration is achieved by the ring self-contracting to the resting configuration due to the shape-memory material. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein with the prosthesis in the compressed configuration, the anchors are parallel with a central longitudinal axis of the ring. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the anchors are in a radially extended configuration during the step of driving the anchors into the tissue. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein expanding the prosthesis to the deployment configuration comprises inflating a balloon to expand the prosthesis. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the ring is a serpentine ring including a plurality of struts joined together apexes. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the anchors comprise barbs. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the anchors are disposed only at a distal end of the ring. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the ring is a closed ring.