Loading apparatus for loading a prosthetic heart valve into a delivery apparatus
A loading apparatus including an outer body, a guide tube, and an annular loading member is disclosed. As one example, the outer body includes an inner conical bore that narrows in diameter from a distal end to a proximal end portion of the outer body and the guide tube includes a distal portion arranged within the proximal end portion of the outer body and a proximal portion extending outward from the outer body. The annular loading member can include a ring portion and a plurality of arms extending outward, in an axial direction relative to a central longitudinal axis of the loading apparatus, from the ring portion, the ring portion coupled to an inner surface of the distal portion of the guide tube.
1 . A loading apparatus, comprising:
an outer body including an inner conical bore that narrows in diameter from a distal end to a proximal end portion of the outer body;
a guide tube including a distal portion arranged within the proximal end portion of the outer body and a proximal portion extending outward from the outer body; and
an annular loading member including a ring portion and a plurality of axially extending arms extending from the ring portion, wherein the plurality of arms are arranged around a circumference of the ring portion, the ring portion coupled to an inner surface of the distal portion of the guide tube.
2 . The loading apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the distal portion of the guide tube is arranged within a cylindrical bore of the proximal end portion of the outer body, the cylindrical bore extending from a narrowed end of the inner conical bore to a proximal end of the outer body, and wherein the ring portion of the loading member is arranged within the guide tube, adjacent to where the inner conical bore transitions into the cylindrical bore.
3 . The loading apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the outer body further includes an inner cylindrical bore that extends from a narrowed end of the inner conical bore, within the proximal end portion, to a proximal end of the outer body, wherein the inner conical bore has a wider, first end arranged at the distal end of the outer body and a narrower, second end arranged at a transition between the inner conical bore and the inner cylindrical bore, wherein a smallest diameter of the first end is a first diameter, wherein a smallest diameter of the second end is a second diameter, and wherein the inner cylindrical bore has a third diameter that is larger than the second diameter and smaller than the first diameter.
4 . The loading apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the transition is a step transition between the inner conical bore and the inner cylindrical bore.
5 . The loading apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the ring portion of the loading member has an inner, fourth diameter and proximal ends of the plurality of arms, when in a loading configuration, have an inner, fifth diameter that is smaller than the fourth diameter and smaller than the second diameter.
6 . The loading apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the fourth diameter and the second diameter are the same.
7 . The loading apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an inner surface of the inner conical bore and an inner surface of the loading member provides a continuous inner surface of the loading apparatus, in a direction of the central longitudinal axis, and comprises a surface roughness configured to reduce friction.
8 . The loading apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each arm of the plurality of arms includes a wider, distal end attached to the ring portion and a narrower, proximal end that is spaced away from the ring portion, in the axial direction and wherein the proximal ends of the plurality of arms are spaced apart from one another, around a circumference of the loading member.
9 . The loading apparatus of claim 8 , wherein each arm is a flexible arm configured to flex radially outward, relative to a central longitudinal axis of the loading apparatus, from a loading, first configuration of the loading member to a flexed, second configuration of the loading member, wherein in the first configuration the proximal end of each flexible arm is angled radially inward from its corresponding distal end and the ring portion, and wherein in the second configuration the proximal end of each flexible arm is bent radially outward relative to the first configuration such that the proximal end is angled radially inward to a lesser degree than when in the first configuration.
10 . The loading apparatus of claim 9 , wherein an inner diameter of a proximal end of the loading member, formed by the proximal ends of the plurality of arms, is larger in the second configuration than the first configuration.
11 . The loading apparatus of claim 8 , wherein each arm includes at least a portion, proximate to the proximal end of the arm, that is connected to a remaining portion of the arm or the ring portion via a separable connection that is configured to break under a force that is greater than a threshold.
12 . The loading apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the guide tube and plurality of arms of the loading member are configured to receive a capsule of a delivery apparatus in a space between the inner surface of the guide tube and an outer surface of the plurality of arms, the capsule configured to receive a radially compressed prosthetic heart valve therein.
13 . A loading apparatus, comprising:
an outer body including an inner conical bore and an inner cylindrical bore that are continuous with one another along a length of the outer body, the conical bore narrowing in diameter from a distal end of the outer body to the cylindrical bore and the cylindrical bore extending from a narrowed end of the conical bore to a proximal end of the outer body;
a guide tube including a distal portion arranged within the cylindrical bore and a proximal portion extending outward from the proximal end of the outer body; and
an annular loading member including a ring portion and a plurality of flexible arms arranged around a circumference of the loading member, the plurality of flexible, axially extending arms extending from the ring portion, wherein the ring portion is coupled to an inner surface of the distal portion of the guide tube, wherein each flexible arm has a distal end arranged at the ring portion and a proximal end arranged away from the ring portion, and wherein the proximal end of each flexible arm is angled radially inward toward a central longitudinal axis of the loading apparatus when the loading member is in a loading, first configuration.
14 . The loading apparatus of claim 13 , wherein in the loading, first configuration, an inner diameter formed by the proximal ends of the plurality of flexible arms is smaller than an inner diameter of the ring portion and wherein each flexible arm of the plurality of flexible arms is configured to bend radially outward from the loading, first configuration, to a flexed, second configuration where the proximal end of each flexible arm is arranged closer to the inner surface of the guide tube than when in the first configuration, in response to a radially outward force applied to an inner surface of the plurality of flexible arms.
15 . The loading apparatus of claim 14 , wherein, in the second configuration, the inner diameter formed by the proximal ends of the plurality of flexible arms increases relative to the inner diameter formed by the proximal ends of the plurality of flexible arms when in the first configuration.
16 . The loading apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of flexible arms comprises an elastically deformable material.
17 . The loading apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the guide tube and plurality of flexible arms of the loading member are configured to receive a capsule of a delivery apparatus in a space between the inner surface of the guide tube and an outer surface of the plurality of flexible arms, the capsule configured to receive a radially compressed prosthetic heart valve therein.