Devices And Systems For Accessing And Repairing A Heart Valve

1 . A method of repairing a tricuspid valve, comprising:

providing a medical delivery system for accessing the tricuspid valve, including

an outer guide catheter having a proximal end portion, a first deflection portion, a second deflection portion, and a distal end portion each aligned in series along a length of the outer guide catheter, and having a steering assembly comprising a first steering mechanism and a second steering mechanism, the outer guide catheter defining a lumen extending from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion,

an inner guide catheter positioned coaxially within the lumen of the outer guide catheter, the inner guide catheter having a proximal end portion, a first deflection portion, and a distal end portion each aligned in series along a length of the inner guide catheter, and having a steering assembly comprising a first steering mechanism, the inner guide catheter defining a lumen extending from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion, and

an interventional catheter positioned coaxially within the lumen of the inner guide catheter, the interventional catheter having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, and having an implantable fixation device coupled to the distal end portion;

delivering the outer guide catheter to a right atrium via an inferior vena cava;

actuating the first steering mechanism of the outer guide catheter to steer the first deflection portion of the outer guide catheter such that the distal end portion of the outer guide catheter moves within the right atrium relative the tricuspid valve;

advancing the inner guide catheter longitudinally relative the outer guide catheter such that the first deflection portion of the inner guide catheter extends distally from the distal end portion of the outer guide catheter;

actuating the first steering mechanism of the inner guide catheter to steer the first deflection portion of the inner guide catheter such that the distal end portion of the inner guide catheter moves within the right atrium relative the tricuspid valve;

aligning the implantable fixation device with the tricuspid valve by operating the first and second steering mechanism of the outer guide catheter and the first steering mechanism of the inner guide catheter; and

deploying the implantable fixation device to repair the tricuspid valve.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first deflection portion of the outer guide catheter is steerable to define a first outer-guide-catheter curve and the second deflection portion of the outer guide catheter is steerable to define a second outer-guide-catheter curve.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the first deflection portion of the inner guide catheter is steerable to define a first inner-guide-catheter curve.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the first outer-guide-catheter curve is in a first plane and the first inner-guide-catheter curve is in a second plane.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the first plane and the second plane are the same plane.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the implantable fixation device comprises:

a first arm and a second arm;

a first proximal element moveable relative the first arm between a first position and a second position; and

a second proximal element moveable relative to the second arm between a first position and a second position.

7 . A method of repairing a tricuspid valve, comprising:

delivering a steerable guide catheter system to a right atrium via an inferior vena cava, the steerable guide catheter system including an outer guide catheter, an inner guide catheter positioned coaxially within the outer guide catheter, and an implantable fixation device;

steering the outer guide catheter to move a distal end portion of the outer guide catheter in a septal-lateral direction within the right atrium relative to the tricuspid valve;

advancing the inner guide catheter distally from the outer guide catheter;

steering the inner guide catheter to align the implantable fixation device with the tricuspid valve; and

deploying the implantable fixation device to coapt leaflets of the tricuspid valve.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein steering the outer guide catheter comprises steering a first deflection portion of the outer guide catheter to move the distal end portion in the septal-lateral direction.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising steering a second deflection portion of the outer guide catheter to adjust height of the distal end portion of the outer guide catheter relative to the tricuspid valve.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein steering the inner guide catheter comprises steering a first deflection portion of the inner guide catheter to move a distal end portion of the inner guide catheter within the right atrium relative to the tricuspid valve.

11 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising advancing an interventional catheter positioned coaxially within the inner guide catheter to position the implantable fixation device relative to the tricuspid valve, the fixation device being releasably coupled to an end of the interventional catheter.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein deploying the implantable fixation device comprises coapting at least two leaflets of the tricuspid valve selected from the group consisting of a posterior leaflet, an anterior leaflet, and a septal leaflet.

13 . A method of repairing a tricuspid valve, comprising:

providing a medical delivery system for accessing the tricuspid valve, including an outer guide catheter having a first deflection portion and a second deflection portion, an inner guide catheter having a first deflection portion, and an implantable fixation device;

delivering the outer guide catheter to a right atrium via an inferior vena cava;

steering the first deflection portion of the outer guide catheter to move a distal end portion of the outer guide catheter in a septal-lateral direction within the right atrium;

advancing the inner guide catheter distally from the outer guide catheter such that the first deflection portion of the inner guide catheter extends from the distal end portion of the outer guide catheter;

steering the second deflection portion of the outer guide catheter and the first deflection portion of the inner guide catheter to adjust height of the implantable fixation device relative to the tricuspid valve; and

deploying the implantable fixation device to repair the tricuspid valve.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein steering the second deflection portion of the outer guide catheter defines a second outer-guide-catheter curve in a first plane and steering the first deflection portion of the inner guide catheter defines a first inner-guide-catheter curve in a second plane, wherein the first plane and the second plane are the same plane.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein steering the first deflection portion of the outer guide catheter defines a first outer-guide-catheter curve in a first plane and steering the second deflection portion of the outer guide catheter defines a second outer-guide-catheter curve in a third plane, wherein the first plane and the third plane are orthogonal to one another.

16 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising steering the second deflection portion of the outer guide catheter from a relaxed state in which the distal end portion of the outer guide catheter is angled between approximately 45 and 65 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of a proximal portion of the outer guide catheter.

17 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising steering the first deflection portion of the inner guide catheter from a relaxed state in which a distal end portion of the inner guide catheter is angled between approximately 40 and 50 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of a proximal portion of the inner guide catheter.

18 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising steering the first deflection portion of the inner guide catheter such that a distal end portion of the inner guide catheter moves at an angle between approximately 0 and 90 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of a proximal portion of the inner guide catheter.

19 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising actuating a first steering mechanism of the outer guide catheter to steer the first deflection portion of the outer guide catheter and actuating a second steering mechanism of the outer guide catheter to steer the second deflection portion of the outer guide catheter.

20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the second deflection portion of the outer guide catheter and the first deflection portion of the inner guide catheter includes a preformed curve.