Delivery system for collapsible heart valve
A delivery system for delivering a collapsible prosthetic heart valve includes a valve support structure for supporting a collapsible prosthetic heart valve, and a distal sheath movable in a longitudinal direction relative to the valve support structure between a first position in which the distal sheath is adapted to surround a collapsible prosthetic heart valve supported on the valve support structure, and a second position in which the distal sheath is adapted to expose the collapsible prosthetic heart valve for deployment. The distal sheath is at least partially formed of an inner polymer layer, an outer polymer layer, and a tubular supporting member sandwiched between the inner polymer layer and the outer polymer layer.
1. A delivery device for implanting a prosthetic heart valve, comprising:
a valve support for supporting a collapsible prosthetic heart valve; and
a distal sheath slidable in a longitudinal direction relative to the valve support between a first position in which the distal sheath is adapted to maintain the prosthetic heart valve in a collapsed condition, and a second position in which the distal sheath is adapted to expose the prosthetic heart valve for deployment, the distal sheath including an inner polymer layer, an outer polymer layer, and a tubular support sandwiched between the inner polymer layer and the outer polymer layer, the tubular support having a first longitudinal section and a second longitudinal section and including a plurality of struts extending in a circumferential direction of the tubular support, each of the first and second longitudinal sections having a degree of flexibility sufficient to facilitate advancement of the distal sheath into the aortic arch, the degree of flexibility of the first longitudinal section being different than the degree of flexibility of the second longitudinal section, each strut defining a continuous closed loop, the loops being coupled to one another by a plurality of connectors so as to define a plurality of open cells, the connectors in the first longitudinal section being arranged in a plurality of linear rows oriented substantially orthogonally to the loops, the connectors in the second longitudinal section being arranged in a plurality of linear rows oriented substantially orthogonally to the loops, the connectors in the first longitudinal section being joined to the loops in the first longitudinal section so as to define continuous structures extending from one end of the first longitudinal section to another end of the first longitudinal section, the connectors in the second longitudinal section being joined to the loops in the second longitudinal section so as to define continuous structures extending from one end of the second longitudinal section to another end of the second longitudinal section, each of the continuous structures in the first longitudinal section being continuous and colinear with a respective one of the continuous structures in the second longitudinal section, each of the continuous structures in the second longitudinal section being diametrically opposed to another of the continuous structures in the second longitudinal section.
2. The delivery device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the loops in the second longitudinal section has a selected width in the longitudinal direction and each of the loops in the first longitudinal section has a width in the longitudinal direction that is less than the selected width.
3. The delivery device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the continuous structures in the first longitudinal section is diametrically opposed to another of the continuous structures in the first longitudinal section.
4. The delivery device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second longitudinal section has a greater number of rows of connectors than the first longitudinal section.
5. The delivery device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the first longitudinal section includes exactly two rows of connectors.
6. The delivery device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the second longitudinal section includes exactly four rows of connectors.
7. The delivery device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the degree of flexibility of the first longitudinal section is greater than the degree of flexibility of the second longitudinal section.
8. The delivery device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of open cells defines an open cell area in the second longitudinal section and an open cell area in the first longitudinal section that is greater than the open cell area in the second longitudinal section.
9. The delivery device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first longitudinal section is connected to the second longitudinal section by a plurality of section connectors.
10. The delivery device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein each of the section connectors is aligned in the longitudinal direction with a respective one of the continuous structures in the second longitudinal section.
11. The delivery device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein each of the section connectors is aligned in the longitudinal direction with a respective one of the continuous structures in the first longitudinal section.
12. The delivery device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein each of the continuous structures in the first longitudinal section is continuous with a respective one of the section connectors.
13. The delivery device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the inner polymer layer has a higher lubricity than the outer polymer layer.
14. The delivery device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the continuous structures in the second longitudinal section are equally spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction of the tubular support.