Delivery device

1 . An apparatus for use with a medical device, comprising:

a delivery device configured to deliver the medical device to a mitral valve and/or a left ventricle of a subject, the delivery device comprising a steerable catheter that comprises:

an outer steerable catheter;

an inner steerable catheter that is disposed within the outer steerable catheter and a distal portion of which is configured to be advanceable out of a distal end of the outer steerable catheter and to be steered independently of the outer steerable catheter; and

a capsule configured to house the medical device during delivery of the medical device to the mitral valve and/or the left ventricle, the capsule comprising:

a distal capsule portion configured to maintain a distal portion of the medical device in a radially-constrained configuration during delivery of the medical device to the mitral valve and/or the left ventricle; and

a proximal capsule portion configured to maintain a proximal portion of the medical device in a radially-constrained configuration during delivery of the medical device to the mitral valve and/or the left ventricle, wherein a proximal end of the proximal capsule portion defines a recess, such that the proximal end of the proximal capsule portion is configured to be retracted such as to overlap with a distal end of the inner steerable catheter.

2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the a-steerable catheter comprising comprises two or more deflection cables,

at least one of the deflection cables being a steering deflection cable configured to steer a distal portion of the steerable catheter from a vena cava of the subject through a right atrium and an interatrial septum of the subject and into a left atrium of the subject, by steering the distal portion of the steerable catheter through a first steerable-catheter deflection plane, and

at least one of the deflection cables being a height-adjustment deflection cable configured to deflect a tip of the steerable catheter relative to a portion of the steerable catheter that is proximal to the tip, such that the tip is deflected from within the left atrium toward a roof of the left atrium, by steering the tip of the steerable catheter through a second steerable-catheter deflection plane.

3 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the height-adjustment deflection cable is disposed at a 90 degree angle with respect to the steering deflection cable.

4 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the steering deflection cable is configured to steer the distal portion of the steerable catheter through the first steerable-catheter deflection plane through an angle of between 0 degrees and more than 60 degrees, to steer the distal portion of the steerable catheter from the vena cava through the right atrium and the interatrial septum of the subject and into the left atrium of the subject.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the height-adjustment deflection cable is configured to steer the tip of the steerable catheter through the second steerable-catheter deflection plane through an angle of more than 30 degrees, to deflect the tip of the steerable catheter relative to the portion of the steerable catheter that is proximal to the tip.

6 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the inner steerable catheter comprises a first set of one or more steering deflection cables that are configured to steer a distal end of the inner steerable catheter through a first inner-steerable-catheter deflection plane toward the subject's mitral valve, and a second set of one or more steering deflection cables that are configured to steer the distal end of the inner steerable catheter through a second inner-steerable-catheter deflection plane, such as to align the distal end of the inner steerable catheter with the subject's mitral valve.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the first set of one or more steering deflection cables are configured to steer the distal end of the inner steerable catheter through the first inner-steerable-catheter deflection plane through an angle of more than 80 degrees, to steer the distal end of the inner steerable catheter toward the subject's mitral valve.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the second set of one or more steering deflection cables are configured to steer the distal end of the inner steerable catheter through the second inner-steerable-catheter deflection plane through an angle of at least between −45 degrees and +45 degrees, to align the distal end of the inner steerable catheter with the subject's mitral valve.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the first set of one or more steering deflection cables is disposed at a 90 degree angle with respect to the second set of one or more steering deflection cables.

10 . An apparatus for use with a medical device comprising:

a delivery device configured to deliver the medical device to a deployment location within a body of a subject, the delivery device comprising:

a delivery catheter; and

a capsule configured to house the medical device during delivery of the medical device to the deployment location, the capsule comprising:

a distal capsule portion configured to maintain a distal portion of the medical device in a radially-constrained configuration during delivery of the medical device to the deployment location; and

a proximal capsule portion configured to maintain a proximal portion of the medical device in a radially-constrained configuration during delivery of the medical device to the deployment location, wherein a proximal end of the proximal capsule portion defines a recess, such that the proximal end of the proximal capsule portion is configured to be retracted such as to overlap with a distal end of the delivery catheter.

11 . The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the delivery device further comprises

a handle comprising a rotational control component that is configured to transmit rotational motion to the capsule; and

a motion-conversion mechanism disposed within the capsule, the motion-conversion mechanism being configured to convert the rotational motion to axial motion of a portion of the capsule, to thereby release at least a portion of the medical device.

12 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the motion-conversion mechanism comprises a screw-and-nut mechanism.

13 . An apparatus for use with a medical device comprising:

a delivery device configured to deliver the medical device to a deployment location within a body of a subject, the delivery device comprising:

a capsule configured to house the medical device during delivery of the medical device to the deployment location, the capsule comprising:

a distal capsule portion configured to maintain a distal portion of the medical device in a radially-constrained configuration during delivery of the medical device to the deployment location, the distal capsule portion being coupled to a first shaft; and

a proximal capsule portion configured to maintain a proximal portion of the medical device in a radially-constrained configuration during delivery of the medical device to the deployment location,

a handle comprising a rotational control component that is configured to transmit rotational motion to the capsule;

a distal device interface configured to secure a distal portion of the medical device, the distal device interface being coupled to a second shaft;

a motion-conversion mechanism disposed within the capsule and configured to cause rotational motion of the first shaft relative to the second shaft to result in axial motion of the first shaft relative to the second shaft, to thereby cause the distal capsule portion to move axially relative to the distal portion of the medical device to thereby release at least a portion of the medical device; and

a bearing mechanism that is configured to separate rotational motion of the distal capsule portion from rotational motion of the first shaft.

14 . The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the motion-conversion mechanism comprises a screw-and-nut mechanism.

15 . The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein a surface of the first shaft is threaded and a surface of the second shaft is threaded, such that rotational motion of the first shaft relative to the second shaft to result in axial motion of the first shaft relative to the second shaft.

16 . The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein a surface of the first shaft is threaded and a surface of the distal device interface is threaded, such that rotational motion of the first shaft relative to the distal device interface to result in axial motion of the first shaft relative to the distal device interface.