Anchoring of prosthetic valve supports

1. Apparatus for use with a prosthetic valve at a native valve of a heart of a subject, the apparatus comprising:

a delivery tube, transluminally advanceable to the heart of the subject;

a prosthetic valve support, configured to support the prosthetic valve at the native valve, and comprising an upstream support portion, the upstream support portion:

having a working configuration in which the upstream support portion is generally annular and has (1) a tissue-contacting side configured to be placed against an atrial surface of the native valve, and (2) an opposing side, and defines an opening therebetween, and

having a delivery configuration in which the upstream support portion defines a channel having a central longitudinal axis, and is configured to be disposed within the delivery tube;

a tissue anchor, disposed within the channel, and slidable through at least part of the channel; and

an anchor driver, disposed within the delivery tube and the channel, and configured to anchor the upstream support portion to tissue of the heart by driving the tissue anchor from the opposing side through the upstream support portion and into the tissue, while at least part of the upstream support portion is disposed within the delivery tube.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the tissue anchor comprises a helical tissue anchor, and is configured to be driven into the tissue by being rotated.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the upstream support portion is configured to be transitioned from the delivery configuration to the working configuration by being unrolled.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

in the delivery configuration, the upstream support portion has a distal portion and a proximal portion, and the channel is defined between the distal portion and the proximal portion,

the anchor comprises a first anchor, and the anchor driver is configured to anchor the distal portion of the upstream support portion to the tissue by driving the first anchor through the distal portion of the upstream support portion, and

the apparatus is configured such that:

the proximal portion of the upstream support portion is configured to be at least partly exposed from the delivery tube subsequently to the anchoring of the distal portion, and the apparatus further comprises a second anchor, configured to be driven through the proximal portion of the upstream support portion and into the tissue subsequently to the exposing.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the delivery configuration, the upstream support portion has a distal portion and a proximal portion, and shapes the channel to be an uninterrupted lumen between the distal portion and the proximal portion.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the anchor driver is configured to slide the tissue anchor through at least most of the channel before driving the anchor through the upstream support portion.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the delivery tube is configured to be transluminally advanced while the upstream support portion is disposed within a distal portion of the delivery tube, and while the tissue anchor and a distal portion of the anchor driver are disposed within the channel.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the delivery tube is configured to retain the upstream support portion in the delivery configuration, and the upstream support portion is configured to automatically transition toward the working configuration upon becoming exposed from the delivery tube.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the delivery configuration, at any given part of the upstream support portion, the opposing side of the upstream support portion is disposed closer to the central longitudinal axis than is the tissue-contacting side.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, while the upstream support portion is in the delivery configuration and disposed within the delivery tube, the channel shares a common central longitudinal axis with the delivery tube, and the anchor driver is configured to drive the tissue anchor through the upstream support portion by moving the tissue anchor along the common central longitudinal axis.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the delivery tube is configured to facilitate the driving of the tissue anchor through the upstream support portion by deflecting a portion of the prosthetic valve support to intersect with the common central longitudinal axis by pressing the portion of the prosthetic valve support against the tissue.

12. Apparatus for use with a prosthetic valve at a native valve of a heart of a subject, the apparatus comprising:

a delivery tube, transluminally advanceable to the heart of the subject;

a prosthetic valve support, configured to support the prosthetic valve at the native valve, and comprising an upstream support portion, the upstream support portion:

having a working configuration in which the upstream support portion is generally annular and has (1) a tissue-contacting side configured to be placed against an atrial surface of the native valve, and (2) an opposing side, and defines an opening therebetween,

having a delivery configuration in which the upstream support portion is rolled up, defines a channel having a central longitudinal axis, and is configured to be disposed within the delivery tube, and

being configured to be transitioned from the delivery configuration to the working configuration by being unrolled;

a tissue anchor, configured to be disposed within the channel, and slidable through at least part of the channel; and

an anchor driver, slidable within the delivery tube and the channel, and configured to anchor the upstream support portion to tissue of the heart by driving the tissue anchor from the opposing side through the upstream support portion and into the tissue, while at least part of the upstream support portion is disposed within the delivery tube.

13. Apparatus for use with a prosthetic valve at a native valve of a heart of a subject, the apparatus comprising:

a delivery tube, transluminally advanceable to the heart of the subject;

a prosthetic valve support, configured to support the prosthetic valve at the native valve, and comprising an upstream support portion, the upstream support portion:

having a working configuration in which the upstream support portion is generally annular and has (1) a tissue-contacting side configured to be placed against an atrial surface of the native valve, and (2) an opposing side, and defines an opening therebetween, and

having a delivery configuration in which the upstream support portion defines a channel having a central longitudinal axis, and is configured to be disposed within the delivery tube;

a tissue anchor, configured to be disposed within the channel, and slidable through at least part of the channel; and

an anchor driver, slidable within the delivery tube and the channel, and configured to anchor the upstream support portion to tissue of the heart by driving the tissue anchor from the opposing side through the upstream support portion and into the tissue, while at least part of the upstream support portion is disposed within the delivery tube,

wherein:

in the delivery configuration, the upstream support portion has a distal portion and a proximal portion, and the channel is defined between the distal portion and the proximal portion,

the anchor comprises a first anchor, and the anchor driver is configured to anchor the distal portion of the upstream support portion to the tissue by driving the first anchor through the distal portion of the upstream support portion, and

the apparatus is configured such that:

the proximal portion of the upstream support portion is configured to be at least partly exposed from the delivery tube subsequently to the anchoring of the distal portion, and the apparatus further comprises a second anchor, configured to be driven through the proximal portion of the upstream support portion and into the tissue subsequently to the exposing.