Implant delivery
Apparatus and methods for an implant are provided. The implant may have a constrained configuration and a relaxed configuration. The implant may include a strut having an end that may be captured by a hub and may define a reference angle in the relaxed configuration. The implant may include a swivel body that may engage a shaft of a delivery cable and may be rotated through the reference angle. The apparatus may include a pusher catheter to push the implant. The delivery cable may engage the implant. The apparatus may include gauge handle that may include a force gauge to indicate the presence of a force acting on the implant. The apparatus may include a bushing that may be fixed to an end of a pusher catheter. The bushing may move along a delivery catheter lumen and may guide the implant to a keyed position at the bushing.
1 . An implant for a heart chamber, the implant having a constrained configuration and a relaxed configuration, the implant comprising:
a hub;
a strut having an end that:
is captured by the hub; and,
in the relaxed configuration, defines a reference angle; and
a swivel body that is configured to:
engage a shaft of a delivery cable; and
be rotated through the reference angle.
2 . The implant of claim 1 wherein the hub includes the swivel body.
3 . The implant of claim 2 wherein:
the hub includes a hinge block; and
the swivel body is configured to rotate with respect to the hinge block.
4 . The implant of claim 3 wherein the swivel body is configured to be rotated when the swivel body is not engaged with the shaft.
5 . The implant of claim 4 wherein the swivel body is configured to rotate at least 360°.
6 . The implant of claim 3 wherein the swivel body defines a threaded interior.
7 . The implant of claim 6 wherein the threaded interior of the swivel body body is configured to be threadedly joined with the shaft.
8 . The implant of claim 3 further comprising a connector that extends between the swivel body and the hub.
9 . The implant of claim 8 wherein the connector includes a swivel arm that is configured to rotate inside a receptacle.
10 . The implant of claim 9 wherein the swivel arm extends from the swivel body and the hub defines the receptacle.
11 . The implant of claim 10 wherein:
the swivel arm is a first swivel arm and the receptacle is a first receptacle; and
the connector includes a second swivel arm that:
extends from the swivel body; and
is configured to rotate in a second receptacle that is defined by the hub.
12 . The implant of claim 11 wherein the hinge block further includes:
a top segment;
an upper middle segment;
a lower middle segment; and
a bottom segment.
13 . The implant of claim 12 wherein each of the top segment, the upper middle segment, the lower middle segment and the bottom segment are discoidal.
14 . The implant of claim 12 wherein:
the top segment includes neither “T”-shaped slots nor straight slots;
the upper middle segment includes:
“T”-shaped slots;
the first receptacle; and
the second receptacle;
the lower middle segment includes alternating “T”-shaped slots and straight slots; and
the bottom segment includes straight slots, each straight slot being positioned immediately below, and aligned with, either a “T”-shaped slot or a straight slot defined by the lower middle segment.
15 . The implant of claim 14 wherein the top segment is configured to prevent struts from disengaging from the hub.
16 . The implant of claim 15 wherein:
the end of each strut is a “T”-shaped terminus that includes a crossbar; and
each “T”-shaped terminus is configured to be positioned in one of the “T”-shaped slots.
17 . The implant of claim 16 wherein:
each of the “T”-shaped slots in the upper middle segment are configured to capture the “T”-shaped terminus of a strut of a first group of struts; and
the first and second receptacles are configured to capture the swivel body.
18 . The implant of claim 17 wherein the top segment and the lower middle segment:
include neither the first receptacle nor the second receptacle; and
are configured to prevent the swivel body from disengaging from the hub.
19 . The implant of claim 17 wherein:
each of the “T”-shaped slots in the lower middle segment are configured to capture the “T”-shaped terminus of a strut of a second group of struts; and
the straight slots are configured to:
trap the crossbar of each “T”-shaped terminus from the first group of struts; and
enable struts from the first group of struts to pivot within a “T”-shaped slot, relative to a central axis of the hub.
20 . The implant of claim 19 wherein the straight slots in the bottom segment are configured to:
trap the crossbar of each “T”-shaped terminus of a strut from the second group of struts; and
enable struts from the first and second groups of struts to pivot, within a “T”-shaped slot, relative to a central axis of the hub.
21 . The implant of claim 16 wherein:
the top segment is attached to an upper face of the upper middle segment;
a bottom face of the upper middle segment is attached to an upper face of the lower middle segment; and
the bottom segment is attached to a bottom face of the lower middle segment.
22 . The implant of claim 16 wherein each “T”-shaped terminus is configured to pivot at least 90° within a corresponding “T”-shaped slot relative to a central axis of the hub.
23 . The implant of claim 16 wherein each “T”-shaped terminus is configured to pivot 90° within a corresponding “T”-shaped slot relative to a central axis of the hub.
24 . The implant of claim 9 wherein the swivel arm extends from the hub and the swivel body defines the receptacle.
25 . The implant of claim 3 wherein:
the swivel body defines an axis of rotation with respect to the hinge block; and
the swivel body is rotatable 360° about the axis of rotation.
26 . The implant of claim 3 wherein:
the hinge block circumscribes a cylindrical shape; and
the hinge block defines a gap extending into an interior of the hub, the gap comprising:
a rectangular recess;
a cylindrical cavity extending away from the rectangular recess; and
a flared opening extending away from the cylindrical cavity.
27 . The implant of claim 26 wherein:
the swivel body is positioned in the rectangular recess.
28 . The implant of claim 27 wherein the cylindrical cavity is shaped to receive a protrusion of an implant delivery device.
29 . The implant of claim 28 wherein the flared opening is configured to receive a positioner catheter through which a snare of the implant delivery device extends.
30 . The implant of claim 1 wherein the swivel body is configured to be retained by the hub after deployment of the implant, withdrawal of the shaft from a patient and closure of an access hole in the patient.
31 . The implant of claim 1 wherein the strut is one of a plurality of struts, all of which have an end that is captured in the hub.
32 . The implant of claim 1 wherein the strut is one of a plurality of struts, at least one of which has an end that is configured to be captured in the hub.