Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
Prosthetic heart valve and delivery apparatus

Abstract:

An assembly for replacing a native heart valve can have a prosthetic heart valve with an annular metal frame made from shape-memory material and a valve member disposed in an interior of the metal frame. The assembly can have a delivery apparatus with a handle, a shaft with a proximal end portion and a distal end portion. The proximal end portion can be coupled to the handle and the distal end portion can be releasably coupled to the prosthetic heart valve. The delivery apparatus can also have a delivery sheath and a hydraulic power source operatively connected to the delivery sheath. The prosthetic heart valve can be positioned within the delivery sheath in a radially compressed state. The hydraulic power source can be configured to move the delivery sheath longitudinally relative to the valve to allow the valve to self-expand from the radially compressed state to a radially expanded state.