Systems and methods for left atrial appendage closure
Inventors
Morejohn, Dwight P. • Ibrahim, Tamer • Banchieri, Michael J. • Stephanian, Ara • Flores, Brian
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12285173-B2
Publication Date
2025-04-29
Expiration Date
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention encompass systems and methods for delivering ligatures to anatomical features of a patient. Exemplary ligature delivery systems for use in delivering a ligature to a left atrial appendage ligature include an elongate support mechanism having a proximal portion and a distal portion, a flexible hoop assembly, and a cinchable constriction member. The flexible hoop assembly can be coupled with the distal portion of the elongate support mechanism, and can include a support body coupled with a support frame. The support frame can be biased to hold the support body in a trailing configuration, whereby a free portion of the support body is disposed proximal to the distal portion of the elongate support mechanism. The support frame of the flexible hoop assembly can be coupled with the distal portion of the elongate support mechanism. The support body can be configured to support the cinchable constriction member and a loop of the left atrial appendage ligature.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a ligature delivery system for applying a left atrial appendage ligature on a left atrial appendage. The system includes an elongate support shaft with a proximal portion and a distal portion, a handle portion at the proximal portion, and a flexible hoop assembly coupled with the distal portion. The flexible hoop assembly defines a support body and a support frame, where the support body comprises a lumen configured to receive the support frame within.
One or more constriction members are coupled to the flexible hoop assembly to support constriction of the left atrial appendage. The constriction members are guided via a plurality of flaps of the support body, where the flaps define a plurality of channels that receive the constriction members. A deflector body is configured to pivot in two axes relative to the elongate support shaft, and the support frame is coupled to the distal portion of the elongate support shaft via the deflector body.
The deflector body comprises a plurality of pockets configured to hold the constriction members guided from the flaps, enabling the flexible hoop assembly to pivot in two axes and to position the constriction members during delivery. The document additionally describes delivery scenarios in which the constriction member can have an undeployed configuration received within one of the plurality of channels and a deployed configuration removed from the flexible hoop assembly while leaving the inner surface exposed.
It also describes suction integration in which suction is transmitted from a suction source to the left atrial appendage and, in narrower form, a suction pod draws tissue from the left atrial appendage into the suction pod. The overall approach is positioned to support low-profile operation of the ligature delivery system in relation to the left atrial appendage.
Claims Coverage
The partial content identifies two independent claims, directed to a ligature delivery system and a method of delivering a ligature loop to a patient’s left atrial appendage. Across these independent claims, the main inventive features are the guided constriction member arrangement through flaps/channels, a two-axis pivoting deflector body carrying pockets for the constriction members, and the coordinated cinching and loop delivery while the constriction is maintained.
Two-axis deflector body supporting a trailing flexible hoop assembly
The system includes a flexible hoop assembly coupled with a distal portion of an elongate support shaft, and a deflector body configured to pivot in two axes relative to the elongate support shaft, where the support frame of the flexible hoop assembly is coupled with the distal portion via the deflector body, with the deflector body comprising pockets configured to hold the one or more constriction members guided from flaps.
Confining constriction members via flaps defining channels in the support body
The flexible hoop assembly defines a support body and a support frame, where the support body comprises a lumen configured to receive the support frame within, and the one or more constriction members are guided via a plurality of flaps of the support body, where the plurality of flaps define a plurality of channels in which the one or more constriction members are received.
Coordinated cinching and ligature loop delivery while constriction is maintained
The method advances an elongate support shaft toward the left atrial appendage of a patient, cinches one or more constriction members so as to constrict the left atrial appendage, and delivers the ligature loop from the flexible hoop assembly to the constricted left atrial appendage while the one or more constriction members constricts the left atrial appendage.
The claim coverage centers on delivering a left atrial appendage ligature using a flexible hoop assembly coupled to a two-axis pivoting deflector body with pockets, and constriction members guided through flaps/channels within the support body. The method claim further requires cinching the constriction members and delivering the ligature loop from the flexible hoop assembly to the constricted left atrial appendage while the constriction is maintained.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
No documented applications found
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