Delivery cylinder for prosthetic implant

1 . A delivery cylinder for a prosthetic implant, comprising:

a first tubular portion, wherein a circumference of the first tubular portion is continuous and free of gaps at at least one location along a longitudinal axis of the delivery cylinder in both an expanded configuration and a contracted configuration of the delivery cylinder; and

a second tubular portion comprising a plurality of distinct strut members coupled to the first tubular portion and defining a volume for containing a prosthetic implant in a radially compressed state, the strut members including proximal end portions and main body portions extending from the proximal end portions in both the expanded configuration and the contracted configuration of the delivery cylinder;

wherein the delivery cylinder comprises a metal material, and the proximal end portions of each strut member comprise:

a pair of first recessed portions defined in longitudinal edges of the strut member;

a pair of second recessed portions defined in the longitudinal edges of the strut member distally of the pair of first recessed portions; and

wherein the pair of first recessed portions reduces a width of the strut member to induce bending of the strut member at a location of the pair of first recessed portions, and the pair of second recessed portions reduces the width of the strut member to induce bending of the strut member at a location of the pair of second recessed portions;

wherein the strut members are curved in the circumferential direction; and

wherein the first tubular portion is a distal end portion of an outer shaft of a delivery apparatus.

2 . The delivery cylinder of claim 1 , wherein the first recessed portions and the second recessed portions are curved.

3 . The delivery cylinder of claim 1 , wherein the first recessed portions of each strut member are aligned with and open toward first recessed portions of adjacent strut members.

4 . The delivery cylinder of claim 3 , wherein a distance between opposed first recessed portions of adjacent strut members increases as the delivery cylinder expands from the contracted configuration to the expanded configuration.

5 . The delivery cylinder of claim 1 , wherein each strut member comprises a pair of extension portions defined in the longitudinal edges of each strut member between the pair of first recessed portions and the pair of second recessed portions.

6 . The delivery cylinder of claim 5 , wherein a distance between opposed extension portions of adjacent strut members increases as the delivery cylinder expands from the contracted configuration to the expanded configuration.

7 . The delivery cylinder of claim 1 , wherein opposed first recessed portions of adjacent strut members share a common proximal edge.

8 . The delivery cylinder of claim 1 , wherein the first recessed portions and the second recessed portions of each strut member are curved in the circumferential direction.

9 . A method of using the delivery cylinder of claim 1 , comprising:

retracting a tubular member from over the delivery cylinder of claim 1 or advancing the delivery cylinder through and out of a tubular member such that the plurality of strut members of the delivery cylinder move radially outwardly from the contracted configuration to the expanded configuration; and

deploying a prosthetic implant contained in the delivery cylinder in a radially compressed state from the delivery cylinder such that the prosthetic implant at least partially expands to a functional size and the strut members move radially inwardly to the contracted configuration while the delivery cylinder remains distal to the tubular member.

10 . The delivery cylinder of claim 1 , wherein opposed first recessed portions of adjacent strut members share a common proximal edge that is straight in a plan view.

11 . The delivery cylinder of claim 1 , further comprising a flexible member coupled to distal end portions of the strut members and configured to increase in diameter when the strut members move from the contracted configuration to the expanded configuration.

12 . A delivery cylinder for a prosthetic implant, comprising:

a first tubular portion; and

a second tubular portion comprising a plurality of distinct strut members coupled to the first tubular portion and defining a volume for containing a prosthetic implant in a radially compressed state, the strut members including proximal end portions and main body portions extending from the proximal end portions in both an expanded configuration and a contracted configuration of the delivery cylinder;

wherein the proximal end portions of each strut member are configured to bend at two locations when the delivery cylinder expands from the contracted configuration to the expanded configuration;

wherein the strut members are curved in the circumferential direction;

wherein in the contracted configuration the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion both comprise a first diameter, and in the expanded configuration the second tubular portion comprises a second diameter along a length of the second tubular portion, the second diameter is greater than the first diameter, and a distal opening in the second tubular portion defined by distal end portions of the strut members comprises the second diameter when the delivery cylinder is in the expanded configuration; and

wherein the first tubular portion is a distal end portion of an outer shaft of a delivery apparatus.

13 . The delivery cylinder of claim 12 , wherein:

each strut member comprises a pair of first recessed portions defined in longitudinal edges of the strut member at a first of the two locations;

each strut member comprises a pair of second recessed portions defined in the longitudinal edges of the strut member distally of the pair of first recessed portions at a second of the two locations; and

wherein the pair of first recessed portions reduces a width of the strut member to induce bending of the strut member at the first location of the pair of first recessed portions, and the pair of second recessed portions reduces the width of the strut member to induce bending of the strut member at the second location of the pair of second recessed portions.

14 . The delivery cylinder of claim 13 , wherein the first recessed portions and the second recessed portions are curved.

15 . The delivery cylinder of claim 13 , wherein the first recessed portions of each strut member are aligned with and open toward first recessed portions of the adjacent strut members.

16 . The delivery cylinder of claim 15 , wherein a distance between opposed first recessed portions of adjacent strut members increases as the delivery cylinder expands from the contracted configuration to the expanded configuration.

17 . The delivery cylinder of claim 13 , wherein each strut member comprises a pair of extension portions defined in the longitudinal edges of each strut member between the pair of first recessed portions and the pair of second recessed portions.

18 . The delivery cylinder of claim 17 , wherein a distance between opposed extension portions of adjacent strut members increases as the delivery cylinder expands from the contracted configuration to the expanded configuration.

19 . The delivery cylinder of claim 13 , wherein opposed first recessed portions of adjacent strut members share a common proximal edge.

20 . The delivery cylinder of claim 13 , wherein the first recessed portions and the second recessed portions of each strut member are curved in the circumferential direction.