Prosthetic heart valve delivery apparatus

1. A prosthetic heart valve delivery system, comprising:

a catheter portion comprising a sheath and an inner shaft, at least a portion of the inner shaft positioned within a lumen of the sheath, the inner shaft configured to support a radially collapsible prosthetic heart valve and having a nose cone attached to a distal end thereof, the inner shaft and the nose cone having a guidewire lumen extending therethrough, the sheath configured to cover and uncover the prosthetic heart valve mounted on the inner shaft;

a handle comprising a sheath actuator operatively coupled to a proximal portion of the sheath, the inner shaft extending through the handle; and

a shaft retractor coupled to a proximal portion of the handle such that the shaft retractor has a locked position relative to the handle and an unlocked position where the shaft retractor is disengaged from the handle and is movable axially relative to the handle, wherein the shaft retractor comprises a portion that is pressed radially inwardly to unlock the shaft retractor from the handle, and wherein the shaft retractor is fixedly coupled to a proximal portion of the inner shaft such that axial motion of the shaft retractor effects corresponding axial motion of the inner shaft;

wherein the sheath actuator is operable move the sheath axially relative to the inner shaft when the shaft retractor is coupled to the handle, wherein proximal movement of the sheath relative to the inner shaft causes the sheath to uncover the prosthetic heart valve mounted on the inner shaft to allow the prosthetic heart valve to radially expand; and

wherein the shaft retractor is operable to retract the inner shaft and the nosecone proximally relative to the sheath when the shaft retractor is unlocked from the handle.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the shaft retractor is operable to retract the nosecone proximally through the prosthetic heart valve after the prosthetic heart is uncovered by the sheath and allowed to radially expand.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the shaft retractor is operable to translate the inner shaft through the handle when the shaft retractor is unlocked from the handle.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the shaft retractor is manually translatable relative to the handle when the shaft retractor is unlocked from the handle.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the shaft retractor a that is pressed radially inwardly to unlock the shaft retractor is biased radially outwardly toward a position where the shaft retractor is attached to the handle.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the shaft retractor that is pressed radially inwardly to unlock the shaft retractor comprises two opposing parts that are pressed radially inwardly toward each other to unlock the shaft retractor from the handle.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein a distal end of the sheath flares radially outwardly.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the distal end of the sheath can radially expand to accommodate a partially radial expanded prosthetic heart valve.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the prosthetic heart valve mounted on the inner shaft within the sheath.

10. A prosthetic heart valve delivery system, comprising:

a main shaft comprising a sheath;

a nose cone shaft that extends axially through the main shaft, wherein the nose cone shaft supports a radially collapsible prosthetic heart valve, and the sheath is configured to cover and uncover the prosthetic heart valve mounted on the nose cone shaft;

a nose cone attached to a distal end of the nose cone shaft, the nose cone shaft and the nose cone having a guidewire lumen extending therethrough;

a handle assembly comprising:

a main housing;

a sheath actuator operatively coupled to a proximal portion of the main shaft, and

an end portion positioned proximal to the sheath actuator and fixedly coupled to a proximal end of the nose cone shaft such that axial motion of the end portion effects corresponding axial motion of the nose cone shaft, the proximal end portion of the handle assembly being coupled to a proximal portion of the main housing such that the end portion has a locked position relative to the main housing and an unlocked position where the end portion is disengaged from the main housing and is movable axially relative to the main housing, and wherein the end portion comprises a part that is pressed inwardly to unlock the end portion from the main housing;

wherein the sheath actuator is operable move the sheath axially relative to the nose cone shaft, wherein proximal movement of the sheath relative to the nose cone shaft causes the sheath to uncover the prosthetic heart valve mounted on the nose cone shaft to allow the prosthetic heart valve to radially expand; and

wherein the end portion of the handle assembly is operable to retract the nose cone proximally relative to the sheath when the end portion is unlocked from the main housing and moved proximally relative to the main housing.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the end portion of the handle assembly is operable to retract the nose cone proximally through the prosthetic heart valve after the prosthetic heart is uncovered by the sheath and allowed to radially expand.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the end portion of the handle assembly is operable to translate the nose cone shaft through the main housing when the end portion is unlocked from the main housing.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the end portion of the handle assembly is manually translatable relative to the main housing when the end portion is unlocked from the main housing.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the part of the end portion of the handle assembly that is pressed inwardly to unlock the end portion from the main housing is biased outwardly toward a position where the end portion is attached to the main housing.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the part of the end portion of the handle assembly that is pressed inwardly to unlock the end portion from the main housing comprises two opposing portions that are pressed radially inwardly toward each other to unlock the end portion from the main housing.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein a distal end of the sheath flares radially outwardly.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the distal end of the sheath can radially expand to accommodate a partially radial expanded prosthetic heart valve.

18. The system of claim 10 , further comprising the prosthetic heart valve mounted on the nose cone shaft within the sheath.