Transcatheter anchoring assembly for a mitral valve, a mitral valve, and related methods

Abstract

A medical assembly implanting a transcatheter heart valve in the heart at a valve deployment site and related methods of implantation and delivery. An anchor is endovascularly introduced into the heart and implanted to a cardiac wall with an anchor delivery system and delivery cable. A second delivery system introduces a tether which coupled to the implanted anchor and a transcatheter heart valve. The transcatheter heart valve includes either a top or bottom brim which is positioned to conform to the atrial floor at the deployment site.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An anchor assembly for anchoring a mitral valve to an interventricular septum of a heart for minimally invasively implanting a mitral valve to replace the native mitral valve comprising:
 an anchor comprising an anchor screw configured for interventricular septum implantation, said anchor comprising an anchor base extending from a proximal end of said anchor screw, a flexible connector extending from a proximal end of said anchor base, and an anchor shaft extending proximally from said anchor base; and   an anchor delivery system comprising a connector rod having a distal end configured to cooperate with said anchor base to selectively connect thereto and an anchor connector defining a channel for receipt of said connector rod and wherein said anchor connector is configured to receive said anchor shaft.   
     
     
         2 . The anchor assembly according to  claim 1  where said anchor shaft comprises at least one locking member extending radially outwardly therefrom and configured to cooperate with a proximal end surface of said anchor connector. 
     
     
         3 . The anchor assembly according to  claim 1  further comprising at least one stabilizer extending radially outward from said anchor base adjacent said anchor screw. 
     
     
         4 . The anchor assembly according to  claim 3  wherein said at least one stabilizer is non-linear. 
     
     
         5 . The anchor assembly according to  claim 3  wherein said at least one stabilizer extends radially outwardly at an acute angle relative to a horizontal axis of said anchor base. 
     
     
         6 . The anchor assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said connector rod distal end has a first surface configuration and said anchor shaft defines a channel having a second surface configuration wherein said first and surface configurations matingly engage to connect said connector rod to said anchor shaft. 
     
     
         7 . The anchor assembly according to  claim 6  wherein said connector rod is removable from said anchor shaft. 
     
     
         8 . The anchor assembly according to  claim 2  further comprising a tether assembly including a docking ring and at least one tether rod wherein said docking ring is configured to receive said anchor connector and said at least one tether rod extends proximally from said docking ring. 
     
     
         9 . The anchor assembly according to  claim 8  wherein said at least one locking member moves between a first locked position wherein the at least one locking member extends a first distance from an outer surface of said anchor cap to a second position wherein said at least one locking member extends a second distance from said outer surface wherein said first distance is greater than said second distance. 
     
     
         10 . The anchor assembly according to  claim 9  wherein said anchor assembly comprises a tether docking ring which urges said at least one locking member from said first locked position to said second position when it is positioned over said at least one locking member and said at least one locking member, in said first locked position, engages said docking ring when the docking ring is positioned distal of said at least one locking arm on said anchor cap. 
     
     
         11 . A method of implanting an anchor to an interventricular septum of a heart for minimally invasively anchoring a mitral valve to replace the native mitral valve comprising the steps of:
 providing an anchor assembly including an anchor distal end configured for interventricular septum implantation at an implantation site, said anchor comprising an anchor base extending from a proximal end of said anchor distal end, a flexible connector flexibly connected to a proximal end of said anchor base, and an anchor shaft extending proximally from said flexible connector; and   connecting an anchor delivery system including a connector rod and anchor connector to the anchor assembly by positioning the anchor connector over the anchor base;   locking the anchor connector to the anchor base;   advancing the anchor assembly over a guidewire adjacent the interventricular septum wherein the anchor distal end penetrates the interventricular septum at the implantation site and implanting the anchor distal end wherein the anchor distal end exits an opposing side;   advancing a tether docking system including a docking ring and at least one tether arm extending from the docking ring over the anchor connector; and   removing the connector rod.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein said anchor distal end is an anchor screw and said step of advancing the anchor assembly to penetrate the interventricular septum includes rotating the anchor screw. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein said anchor assembly further includes at least one stabilizer extending radially outward from said anchor base and said step of implanting the anchor distal end includes the step of stabilizing the anchor distal end with the at least one stabilizer.