Assembly for replacing a heart valve or coronary angioplasty assembly including a delivery catheter with or without introducer

1. An assembly for replacing a heart valve of a patient's heart by a percutaneous route, comprising:

an introducer comprising at least one tubular insertion sheath, intended to be introduced into an artery of a human body and to allow the passage of a surgical intervention device, and at least one electrically conductive element, of which a distal portion is exposed on at least one part of the outer periphery of the sheath in such a way as to be able to contact the subcutaneous tissue of the body or the artery, and of which a proximal portion is accessible from the outside of the body in such a way as to serve as a connection to one electrode of a cardiac stimulator;

at least one guide wire intended to be introduced into the tubular sheath of the introducer for advancing an artificial valve intended to replace the heart valve, the guide wire having an electrically insulated covering on a central portion of a length of the guide wire, a distal end of the guide wire able to contact the wall of the left ventricle of the patient's heart being not electrically insulated and having an increased flexibility than the central portion, the guide wire comprising a metallic part electrically connected to or providing at least a portion of the distal tip, and serving as a connection to the other electrode of the cardiac stimulator to provide electrical contact at the distal end,

wherein the at least one electrically conductive element is arranged:

either at a distance, measured from the proximal end of the introducer, of between half and three quarters the height of the tubular portion of the sheath defining the proximal portion of the introducer;

or at a distance of between 20 and 60 cm from the distal portion of the introducer.

2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electrode of the cardiac stimulator connected to the electrically conductive element of the introducer or of the surgical intervention device is the anode, while the electrode connected to the metallic part of the guide wire is the cathode.

3. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive element is a metal wire or strip which is accommodated at least in part within the thickness of the sheath, and of which the distal portion is exposed at the outer periphery of the sheath.

4. The assembly as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the introducer or the surgical intervention device comprises:

a distal notch formed within the thickness of the tubular sheath and leaving the distal portion of the metal wire or strip exposed, so as to produce the contact with a wall of the vascular system of the body;

a proximal notch formed in a proximal zone of the introducer, intended to be outside the body, and leaving the proximal portion of the metal wire or of the strip exposed, so as to produce the connection to the electrode of the cardiac stimulator.

5. The assembly as claimed in claim 4 , the proximal notch and the proximal portion of the metal wire or of the strip being configured to allow a crocodile clip to be clipped onto said proximal portion.

6. The assembly as claimed in claim 3 , comprising a rinsing device with faucets, called a flush, for rinsing the inside of the introducer or of the surgical intervention device by means of a suitable rinsing liquid, the proximal portion of the metal wire or strip being exposed at the level of the flush.

7. The assembly as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the cross section of the metal wire or strip is between 0.25 and 5 mm 2 .

8. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive element comprises an electrically conductive covering, deposited on the outer periphery of the sheath.

9. The assembly as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the sheath is a two-layer covering with an electrically insulating inner layer and the electrically conductive covering deposited on the inner layer.

10. The assembly as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the electrically conductive covering is deposited over the entire height of the outer periphery of the sheath, except for the distal end of said sheath.

11. The assembly as claimed in claim 8 , comprising:

a nozzle,

a ring integrated within the nozzle, in which the sheath is engaged with force,

a connecting tongue made of electrically conductive material, of which one end is inserted through the ring in such a way as to establish an electrical contact with the electrically conductive covering, and of which the other end protrudes outside the nozzle, the surface of this end outside the nozzle being designed to be clamped by a connecting clip intended to be joined to an electrode of a cardiac stimulator.

12. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the guide wire is configured to coil upon contact with tissue within a patient's body.

13. An assembly for replacing a heart valve of patient's heart by a percutaneous route, comprising:

a valve delivery catheter comprising at least one tubular insertion sheath, intended to be introduced into an artery of a human body, and at least one electrically conductive element, of which a distal portion is exposed on at least one part of the outer periphery of the sheath in such a way as to be able to contact the subcutaneous tissue of the body or the artery, and of which a proximal portion is accessible from the outside of the body in such a way as to serve as a connection to one electrode of a cardiac stimulator;

at least one guide wire intended to be introduced into the tubular sheath of the delivery catheter for advancing an artificial valve intended to replace the heart valve, the guide wire having an electrically insulated covering on a central portion of a length of the guide wire, a distal end of the guide wire, able to contact the wall of the left ventricle of the patient's heart being not electrically insulated and having an increased flexibility than the central portion, the guide wire comprising at least one metallic part electrically connected to or providing at least a portion of the distal tip, and serving as a connection to the other electrode of the cardiac stimulator to provide electrical contact at the distal end,

wherein the at least one electrically conductive element is arranged:

either at a distance, measured from the proximal end of the introducer, of between half and three quarters the height of the tubular portion of the sheath defining the proximal portion of the introducer;

or at a distance of between 20 and 60 cm from the distal portion of the valve delivery catheter.

14. The assembly as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the distal end of the guide wire is configured to coil upon contact with tissue within a patient's body.