Delivery Tool For Percutaneous Delivery Of A Prosthesis
An expandable delivery tool for aiding the deployment of a prosthesis device within a patient. The delivery tool has a generally elongated shape with a selectively expandable distal end region that flares outward in diameter. Once advanced percutaneously within a patient's vessel, the delivery device can help locate a target area, assist in deploying a prosthesis at a desired position and further expand the prosthesis after deployment.
1 . A device for delivering a prosthesis percutaneously, comprising:
at least one coupling mechanism including:
a first member;
a second member having an aperture;
a control mechanism useable to rotate a distal end of one of said members away from the other from a closed position to an open position;
a locking-pin attached to said first member;
wherein said locking pin extends into said aperture in said closed position and is spaced apart from said aperture in said open position.
2 . The device of claim 1 wherein said control mechanism comprises a connection member containing at least one control wire.
3 . The device of claim 1 wherein the control mechanism has a longitudinal axis that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the locking-pin.
4 . The device of claim 1 wherein said at least one coupling mechanism comprises three coupling mechanisms.
5 . The device of claim 1 further comprising a sheath surrounding said at least one coupling mechanism.
6 . A method of percutaneously delivering a prosthesis comprising:
advancing a distal end of a delivery tool near a target location within a patient;
increasing a diameter of said distal end of said delivery tool;
deploying a prosthesis at said target location, adjacent to said distal end of said delivery tool; and
preventing said prosthesis from advancing past said diameter of said distal end of said delivery tool.
7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
decreasing said diameter of said distal end of said delivery tool to a desired expanded diameter of said prosthesis; and
moving said distal end of said delivery tool through said prosthesis so as to expand said prosthesis to said desired expanded diameter.
8 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
decreasing said diameter of said distal end of said delivery tool;
moving said distal end of said delivery to within said prosthesis; and
increasing a diameter of said prosthesis by increasing said diameter of said distal end of said delivery tool.
9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein said increasing a diameter of said distal end of said delivery tool further comprises modifying a configuration of a mesh section of said distal end.
10 . The method of claim 6 , wherein said advancing a distal end of a delivery tool near a target location within a patient further comprises advancing said distal end of a delivery tool through a valve within a vascular system.
11 . A device for delivering a prosthesis within a vascular system, comprising:
an elongated outer sheath having a lumen disposed therethrough;
a control wire disposed within said lumen; and
a mesh member having a first configuration with a first diameter and a second configuration with a second diameter, said second diameter being larger than said first diameter;
wherein relative movement of said control wire relative to said elongated outer sheath deforms said mesh member between said first configuration and said second configuration.
12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein a distal end of said control wire is fixed to a distal end of said mesh member and a distal end of said elongated outer sheath is fixed to a proximal end of said mesh member.
13 . The device of claim 11 , wherein said second configuration of said mesh member comprises a flared shape.
14 . The device of claim 11 , wherein said second configuration of said mesh member comprises a solid cone shape.
15 . The device of claim 11 , wherein said second configuration of said mesh member comprises a hollow cone shape.
16 . A device for delivering a prosthesis within a vascular system, comprising:
an elongated outer sheath having a lumen disposed therethrough;
a control wire disposed within said lumen; and
an expandable region having a plurality of arms; said expandable region having a first configuration with a first diameter and a second configuration with a second diameter, said second diameter being larger than said first diameter;
wherein relative movement of said control wire relative to said elongated outer sheath expands or contracts said expandable region between said first configuration and said second configuration.
17 . The device of claim 16 , wherein said arms further comprise super elastic wire.
18 . The device of claim 17 , wherein said arms further comprise a loop of super elastic wire.
19 . The device of claim 16 , wherein said device is slidably disposed in a second outer sheath.
20 . The device of claim 19 , wherein said distal end of said second outer sheath further comprises a pigtail.
21 . A device for delivering a prosthesis within a vascular system, comprising:
an elongated outer sheath having a lumen disposed therethrough;
a plurality of balloons disposed on a distal end of said outer sheath and in communication with said lumen; said plurality of balloons having a first configuration with a first diameter and a second configuration with a second diameter, said second diameter being larger than said first diameter;
wherein delivery of an inflation medium through said lumen expands or contracts said plurality of balloons between said first configuration and said second configuration.