Granted Patent B2

US 12,458,496 · App. 17/169,068 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Inventors: David H. Adams (New York, NY); John T. M. Wright (Conifer, CO)

Assignees: Medtronic ATS Medical, Inc.; Medtronic, Inc.

A61F2/2445A61F2/2466A61F2250/0018

Abstract

Claims (30)

1 . A method of repairing tricuspid valve regurgitation resulting from a tricuspid valve annulus being dilated from a normal configuration, the method comprising:

providing a C-shaped annuloplasty ring having an arcuate central segment including an arcuate stiffener extending from a first seam to a second seam, the arcuate stiffener configured to resist at least one of axial and radial deformation, and a first end segment extending from the first seam and a second end segment extending from the second seam, the first and second end segments being deformable at least one of axially and radially relative to the arcuate central segment;

aligning the second end with a tricuspid valve annulus at a base of a septal leaflet;

aligning a connection between the second end segment and the arcuate central segment with a posterior/septal commissure (P/S commissure);

aligning the arcuate central segment with the tricuspid valve annulus at a base of a posterior leaflet with the arcuate central segment extending beyond an anterior/posterior commissure (A/P commissure) to align with a portion of a base of an anterior leaflet;

aligning the first end segment with a portion of the tricuspid valve annulus at the base of the anterior leaflet adjacent the arcuate central segment; and

securing the C-shaped annuloplasty ring thus aligned to the underlying tricuspid valve annulus;

wherein the C-shaped annuloplasty ring maintains a gap between the first end segment and the second end segment; and

wherein a septal/anterior commissure (S/A commissure) is located within the gap.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising during the aligning and securing steps, reforming the tricuspid valve annulus to a near normal annulus configuration.

3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a portion of the arcuate central segment extending between the P/S commissure and A/P commissure with a posterior radius and a portion of the arcuate central segment extending between the A/P commissure and the first segment with an anterior radius, the anterior radius being larger than the posterior radius.

4 . The method of claim 3 wherein the posterior radius conforms to at least a posterior portion of the annulus in a near normal state and the anterior radius conforms to at least a portion of an anterior portion of an annulus in a near normal state.

5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising the arcuate central segment being configured to resist axial and radial deformation.

6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising the first and second end segments being deformable axially and radially.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the securing step is performed using eleven or fewer sutures spaced circumferentially.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the arcuate stiffener defines a plane, and the C-shaped annuloplasty ring is substantially planar about the plane.

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein the first and second ends are sufficiently axially deformable so that, when the annuloplasty ring is operatively attached to the annulus of a tricuspid valve, the first and second ends readily deviate from the plane to conform to the anatomy of tricuspid valve without substantially interfering with its normal operation.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the C-shaped annuloplasty ring comprises a nominal size dimension extending between the first end segment and the arcuate central segment and wherein the gap is greater than 50% of the nominal size dimension.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first end segment is secured to the base of the anterior leaflet.

12 . A method of repairing a tricuspid valve, the method comprising:

attaching a C-shaped annuloplasty ring to an annulus of the tricuspid valve, the C-shaped annuloplasty ring having an arcuate central segment including an arcuate stiffener extending from a first seam to a second seam and a first end segment extending from the first seam and a second end segment extending from the second seam, first and second end segments being deformable at least one of axially and radially relative to the arcuate central segment, the C-shaped annuloplasty ring having a nominal size dimension extending between the first end segment and the arcuate central segment; and

maintaining a gap between the first end segment and the second end segment;

wherein the gap is greater than 50% of the nominal size dimension; and

wherein a septal/anterior commissure (S/A commissure) is located within the gap.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising resisting with the arcuate central segment at least one of axial deformation and radial deformation.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising deforming at least one of the first and second end segments in at least one of an axial and radial direction relative to the arcuate central segment.

15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising aligning the second end with the annulus at a base of a septal leaflet.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising aligning a connection between the second end segment and the arcuate central segment with a posterior/septal commissure (P/S commissure).

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising aligning the arcuate central segment with the annulus at a base of a posterior leaflet with the arcuate central segment extending beyond an anterior/posterior commissure (A/P commissure) to align with a portion of a base of an anterior leaflet.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising aligning the first end segment with a portion of the tricuspid valve annulus at the base of the anterior leaflet adjacent the arcuate central segment.

Continuity (4)

References Cited (16)