Mitral valve prosthesis delivery system

1. A heart valve prosthesis delivery system comprising:

a first sheath having a first lumen;

a second sheath, proximal to the first sheath, having a second lumen;

a heart valve prosthesis carried within the first sheath or the second sheath, wherein the valve prosthesis comprises an anchoring element and a valve component having an expandable valve frame, the valve component being flexibly coupled to the anchoring element via a coupler component comprising a sheet member;

a check valve carried within the first sheath or the second sheath, the check valve having a check valve frame and a cover component, the check valve being configured to be deployed within native valve structure for minimizing back flow of blood during placement of the valve prosthesis when native valve leaflets are rendered non-functional by the presence of the delivery system, wherein the check valve is positioned concentrically with the anchoring element; and

a plurality of check valve control lines extending within the second lumen, the plurality of check valve control lines coupled to the check valve frame and configured to be manipulated by a physician to control release of the check valve.

2. The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the check valve frame is carried within the first sheath in an unexpanded configuration.

3. The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the check valve frame is carried within the second sheath in an unexpanded configuration.

4. The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the anchoring element and the check valve are positioned within the second sheath in an unexpanded configuration.

5. The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the check valve frame is configured to move to an expanded configuration while the valve prosthesis is maintained in an unexpanded configuration.

6. The delivery system of claim 5 , wherein the check valve frame is relatively movable in a distal direction out of the second sheath to move to the expanded configuration, the cover component of the check valve being expandable to block backflow of blood through the native valve structure.

7. The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the check valve frame comprises a self-expanding material.

8. The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the check valve frame comprises a shape memory material.

9. The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the cover component comprises a fabric material.

10. The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the cover component is impervious to fluid.

11. The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the sheet member comprises a tubular skirt structure.

12. A method for implanting a heart valve prosthesis in a heart of a patient in need thereof, comprising:

inserting a heart valve prosthesis delivery system into a native valve structure of a patient, the heart valve prosthesis delivery system having a first sheath, a second sheath that is proximal to the first sheath, a heart valve prosthesis carried within the first sheath and the second sheath in an unexpanded configuration, wherein the valve prosthesis comprises an anchoring element and a valve component having an expandable valve frame, the valve component flexibly coupled to the anchoring element via a coupler component comprising a sheet member, and a check valve carried within the first sheath or the second sheath, and a plurality of check valve control lines coupled to the check valve;

expanding the check valve within the native valve structure by manipulating the plurality of check valve control lines for restricting back flow of blood through the native valve structure;

after the expanding the check valve, releasing the valve prosthesis from the delivery system into the native valve structure, wherein the releasing comprises distally advancing the first sheath relative to the second sheath and proximally withdrawing the second sheath relative to the first sheath to expose the valve prosthesis;

withdrawing the check valve into the second sheath; and

removing the delivery system from the patient.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the expanding comprises proximally retracting the second sheath to expose the check valve.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the check valve has a check valve frame and a cover component and wherein the plurality of check valve control lines are coupled to the check valve frame, and wherein the expanding further comprises manipulating the plurality of check valve control lines to interpose the cover component within the native valve structure.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the valve prosthesis comprises a valve component and an anchoring element, the anchoring element being carried within the second sheath.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the prosthesis comprises an anchoring element, and wherein the proximal withdrawal of the second sheath expands the anchoring element prior to the distally advancing the first sheath.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the expanding the check valve comprises distally advancing the check valve relative to the second sheath to move the check valve to an expanded configuration.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the anchoring element comprises an upper support, a lower support separate from the upper support, and a flexible connector, and wherein the releasing comprises positioning the upper support adjacent to a native valve annulus of a patient and engaging the lower support with the native valve structure to interpose the flexible connector against the native valve structure.

19. A heart valve prosthesis delivery system comprising:

a first sheath having a first lumen;

a second sheath, proximal to the first sheath, having a second lumen;

a heart valve prosthesis carried within the first sheath or the second sheath, wherein the valve prosthesis comprises an anchoring element and a valve component having an expandable valve frame, the anchoring element comprising a top ring, a bottom ring, and a flexible connector connecting the top ring to the bottom ring;

a check valve carried within the first sheath or the second sheath, the check valve having a check valve frame and a cover component, the check valve being configured to be deployed within native valve structure for minimizing back flow of blood during placement of the valve prosthesis when native valve leaflets are rendered non-functional by the presence of the delivery system, wherein the check valve is positioned concentrically with the anchoring element; and

a plurality of check valve control lines extending within the second lumen, the plurality of check valve control lines coupled to the check valve frame and configured to be manipulated by a physician to control release of the check valve.

20. The delivery system of claim 19 , wherein the flexible connector comprises a tubular membrane.

21. The delivery system of claim 19 , wherein the flexible connector is connected to an entirety of a circumference of the top ring.

22. The delivery system of claim 21 , wherein the flexible connector is connected to an entirety of a circumference of the bottom ring.

23. A method for implanting a heart valve prosthesis in a heart of a patient in need thereof, comprising:

inserting a heart valve prosthesis delivery system into a native valve structure of a patient, the heart valve prosthesis delivery system having a first sheath, a second sheath that is proximal to the first sheath, a heart valve prosthesis carried within the first sheath and the second sheath in an unexpanded configuration, and a check valve carried within the first sheath or the second sheath, and a plurality of check valve control lines coupled to the check valve;

positioning the delivery system within the native valve structure;

expanding the check valve within the native valve structure by manipulating the plurality of check valve control lines for restricting back flow of blood through the native valve structure;

after the expanding the check valve, releasing the valve prosthesis from the delivery system into the native valve structure, wherein the releasing comprises distally advancing the first sheath relative to the second sheath and proximally withdrawing the second sheath relative to the first sheath to expose the valve prosthesis;

withdrawing the check valve into the second sheath; and

removing the delivery system from the patient.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the prosthesis comprises an anchoring element, and wherein the proximal withdrawal of the second sheath expands the anchoring element prior to the distally advancing the first sheath.