Transcatheter prosthetic heart valve delivery system with recapturing feature and method

1. A method of recapturing a deployed stented prosthetic heart valve at an implantation site, the method comprising:

receiving a delivery system loaded with a radially expandable prosthetic heart valve having a frame to which a valve structure is attached, the delivery system comprising an outer sheath over an inner sheath, the inner sheath containing the prosthetic heart valve in a compressed arrangement over an inner shaft assembly in a loaded state of the delivery system;

delivering the prosthetic heart valve in the compressed arrangement through a bodily lumen of a patient and to the implantation site via the delivery system in the loaded state;

proximally retracting the inner sheath relative to the prosthetic heart valve such that a distal region of the prosthetic heart valve is exposed distal the inner sheath, wherein the distal region self-expands toward a deployed arrangement;

evaluating a position of the prosthetic heart valve relative to the implantation site;

distally advancing the outer sheath relative to the prosthetic heart valve such that the outer sheath is arranged over the prosthetic heart valve to cause the distal region of the prosthetic heart valve to transition toward a collapsed arrangement to recapture the prosthetic heart valve within the outer sheath, and

proximally advancing the inner shaft assembly simultaneously with distally advancing the outer sheath to position the outer sheath over the distal region of the prosthetic heart valve to transition toward the collapsed arrangement to recapture the prosthetic heart valve within the outer sheath.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: proximally retracting the outer and inner sheaths from the recaptured prosthetic heart valve such that the prosthetic heart valve self-deploys from the inner shaft assembly.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the outer sheath provides stability to the delivery system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inner sheath comprises a capsule for containing the prosthetic heart valve in the compressed arrangement over the inner shaft assembly in the loaded state of the delivery system.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the outer sheath is configured to slide over the capsule.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the delivery system further comprises a handle comprising: a first actuator operable to proximally retract the inner sheath relative to the prosthetic heart valve; and a second actuator operable to distally advance the outer sheath relative to the heart valve.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the handle further comprises a third actuator operable to proximally retract the inner shaft assembly relative to the inner and outer sheaths.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the delivery system includes a handle having a housing that maintains a first actuator operable relative to the housing to apply forces to the outer sheath, a second actuator operable relative to the housing to apply forces to the inner sheath, and a third actuator operable relative to the housing to apply forces to the inner shaft assembly.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the outer sheath can form a funnel shape at a distal end.

10. A method of recapturing a deployed stented prosthetic heart valve at an implantation site, the method comprising:

receiving a delivery system loaded with a radially expandable prosthetic heart valve having a frame to which a valve structure is attached, the delivery system comprising an outer sheath over an inner sheath, the inner sheath containing the prosthetic heart valve in a compressed arrangement over an inner shaft assembly in a loaded state of the delivery system;

delivering the prosthetic heart valve in the compressed arrangement through a bodily lumen of a patient and to the implantation site via the delivery system in the loaded state;

proximally retracting the inner sheath relative to the prosthetic heart valve such that a distal region of the prosthetic heart valve is exposed distal the inner sheath, wherein the distal region self-expands towards a deployed arrangement;

evaluating a position of the prosthetic heart valve relative to the implantation site;

distally advancing the outer sheath relative to the prosthetic heart valve such that the outer sheath is arranged over the prosthetic heart valve to cause the distal region of the prosthetic heart valve to transition toward a collapsed arrangement to recapture the prosthetic heart valve within the outer sheath; and

advancing the inner sheath relative to the prosthetic heart valve such that the inner and outer sheaths are both arranged over the prosthetic heart valve to cause the distal region of the prosthetic heart valve to transition toward the collapsed arrangement to recapture the prosthetic heart valve within the inner and outer sheaths.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising: proximally retracting the inner shaft assembly simultaneously with distally advancing the inner and outer sheaths to position the inner and outer sheaths over the distal region of the prosthetic heart valve to transition toward the collapsed arrangement to recapture the prosthetic heart valve within the inner and outer sheaths.

12. A method of deploying a stented prosthetic heart valve at an implantation site, the method comprising:

loading a prosthetic heart valve into a delivery system, the delivery system comprising an outer sheath assembly configured to be slidably disposed over an inner sheath assembly such that a distal region of the inner sheath assembly is exposed distal the outer sheath, the inner sheath assembly configured to be slidably disposed over an inner shaft assembly, a distal region of the inner sheath assembly containing the prosthetic heart valve in a compressed arrangement over the inner shaft assembly;

delivering the prosthetic heart valve in the compressed arrangement through a bodily lumen of a patient and to the implantation site via the delivery system in the loaded state;

proximally retracting the inner sheath relative to the prosthetic heart valve such that a distal region of the prosthetic heart valve is exposed distal the inner sheath, wherein the distal region self-expands toward a deployed arrangement;

evaluating a position of the prosthetic heart valve relative to the implantation site;

distally advancing the outer sheath relative to the prosthetic heart valve such that the outer sheath is arranged over the prosthetic heart valve to cause the distal region of the prosthetic heart valve to transition toward a collapsed arrangement within the outer sheath;

proximally retracting the outer sheath from the collapsed prosthetic heart valve;

proximally retracting the inner sheath from the collapsed prosthetic heart valve such that the prosthetic heart valve self-deploys from the inner shaft assembly; and

distally advancing the inner and outer sheaths relative to the prosthetic heart valve such that the inner and outer sheaths are arranged over the prosthetic heart valve to cause the distal region of the prosthetic heart valve to transition toward the collapsed arrangement within the inner and outer sheaths.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the delivery system further comprises a handle comprising: a first actuator operable to proximally retract the inner sheath relative to the prosthetic heart valve; and a second actuator operable to distally advance the outer sheath relative to the heart valve.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the handle further comprises a third actuator operable to proximally retract the inner shaft assembly relative to the inner and outer sheaths.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the delivery system includes a handle having a housing that maintains a first actuator operable relative to the housing to apply forces to the outer sheath, a second actuator operable relative to the housing to apply forces to the inner sheath, and a third actuator operable relative to the housing to apply forces to the inner shaft assembly.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the outer sheath can form a funnel shape at a distal end.

17. A method of deploying a stented prosthetic heart valve at an implantation site, the method comprising:

loading a prosthetic heart valve into a delivery system, the delivery system comprising an outer sheath assembly configured to be slidably disposed over an inner sheath assembly such that a distal region of the inner sheath assembly is exposed distal the outer sheath, the inner sheath assembly configured to be slidably disposed over an inner shaft assembly, a distal region of the inner sheath assembly containing the prosthetic heart valve in a compressed arrangement over the inner shaft assembly;

delivering the prosthetic heart valve in the compressed arrangement through a bodily lumen of a patient and to the implantation site via the delivery system in the loaded state;

proximally retracting the inner sheath relative to the prosthetic heart valve such that a distal region of the prosthetic heart valve is exposed distal the inner sheath, wherein the distal region self-expands toward a deployed arrangement;

evaluating a position of the prosthetic heart valve relative to the implantation site;

distally advancing the outer sheath relative to the prosthetic heart valve such that the outer sheath is arranged over the prosthetic heart valve to cause the distal region of the prosthetic heart valve to transition toward a collapsed arrangement within the outer sheath;

proximally retracting the outer sheath from the collapsed prosthetic heart valve;

proximally retracting the inner sheath from the collapsed prosthetic heart valve such that the prosthetic heart valve self-deploys from the inner shaft assembly; and

proximally advancing the inner shaft assembly simultaneously with distally advancing the outer sheath to position the outer sheath over the distal region of the prosthetic heart valve to transition toward the collapsed arrangement to recapture the prosthetic heart valve within the outer sheath.

18. A method of deploying a stented prosthetic heart valve at an implantation site, the method comprising:

loading a prosthetic heart valve into a delivery system, the delivery system comprising an outer sheath assembly configured to be slidably disposed over an inner sheath assembly such that a distal region of the inner sheath assembly is exposed distal the outer sheath, the inner sheath assembly configured to be slidably disposed over an inner shaft assembly, a distal region of the inner sheath assembly containing the prosthetic heart valve in a compressed arrangement over the inner shaft assembly;

delivering the prosthetic heart valve in the compressed arrangement through a bodily lumen of a patient and to the implantation site via the delivery system in the loaded state;

proximally retracting the inner sheath relative to the prosthetic heart valve such that a distal region of the prosthetic heart valve is exposed distal the inner sheath, wherein the distal region self-expands toward a deployed arrangement;

evaluating a position of the prosthetic heart valve relative to the implantation site;

distally advancing the outer sheath relative to the prosthetic heart valve such that the outer sheath is arranged over the prosthetic heart valve to cause the distal region of the prosthetic heart valve to transition toward a collapsed arrangement within the outer sheath;

proximally retracting the outer sheath from the collapsed prosthetic heart valve;

proximally retracting the inner sheath from the collapsed prosthetic heart valve such that the prosthetic heart valve self-deploys from the inner shaft assembly; and

distally advancing the inner sheath relative to the prosthetic heart valve such that the inner and outer sheaths are both arranged over the prosthetic heart valve to cause the distal region of the prosthetic heart valve to transition toward the collapsed arrangement within the inner and outer sheaths.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising: proximally retracting the inner shaft assembly simultaneously with distally advancing the inner and outer sheaths to position the inner and outer sheaths over the distal region of the prosthetic heart valve to transition toward the collapsed arrangement within the inner and outer sheaths.