Mitral and tricuspid annuloplasty rings

Claim 2

An annuloplasty ring comprising: an elongate tube of suturable material, a close coiled biocompatible spring member in said tube, said spring member having first and second ends and defining a passage there through, a string extend through said passage, and means securing the string proximate said ends of said spring for preventing extension of said spring.

Claim 3

The annuloplasty ring of claim 1 wherein spring and string are configured and constructed and secured together to define an arc configuration corresponding, in use, to the curved anterior segment of the mitral valve annulus and to permit said arc configuration to vary during the cardiac cycle without extension of said spring.

Claim 4

An annuloplasty ring for use in repair a patient's mitral valve annulus, said mitral valve annulus comprising anterior and posterior segments, said annuloplasty ring comprising: an elongate tube of suturable material, a close coiled biocompatible spring member in said tube, said spring member having first and second ends and defining a passage there through, a string extend through said passage, and means securing the string proximate said ends of said spring for preventing extension of said spring, said tube and spring being configured and constructed to encompass, in use, at least a substantial part of the anterior segment of the mitral valve annulus.

Claim 5

An annuloplasty ring for use in repair a patient's mitral valve annulus, said mitral valve annulus comprising anterior and posterior segments, said annuloplasty ring comprising: an elongate tube of suturable material, a close coiled biocompatible spring member in said tube, said spring member having first and second ends and defining a passage there through, a string extend through said passage, and means securing the string proximate said ends of said spring for preventing extension of said spring, said tube and spring being configured and constructed to encompass, in use, at least a substantial part of the anterior segment of the mitral valve annulus.

Claim 6

The annuloplasty ring of claim 3 wherein spring and string are configured and constructed and secured together to define an arc configuration corresponding, in use, to the curved anterior segment of the mitral valve annulus and to permit said arc configuration to vary during the cardiac cycle without extension of said spring.

Claim 7

An annuloplasty ring for use in repair a patient's mitral valve annulus, said mitral valve annulus comprising anterior and posterior segments, said annuloplasty ring comprising: an elongate tube of suturable material, a close coiled biocompatible spring member in said tube, said spring member having first and second ends and defining a passage there through, a string extend through said passage, and means securing the string proximate said ends of said spring for preventing extension of said spring, said tube and spring being configured and constructed to encompass, in use, at least a substantial part of the mitral valve annulus.

Claim 8

An annuloplasty ring for use in repair a patient's mitral valve annulus, said mitral valve annulus comprising anterior and posterior segments, said annuloplasty ring comprising: an elongate tube of suturable material, a close coiled biocompatible spring member in said tube, said spring member having first and second ends and defining a passage there through, a string extend through said passage, and means securing the string proximate said ends of said spring for preventing extension of said spring, said tube and spring being configured and constructed to encompass, in use, at least a substantial part of the mitral valve annulus.

Claim 9

The annuloplasty ring of claim 3 wherein spring and string are configured and constructed and secured together to define an arc configuration corresponding, in use, to the curved anterior segment of the mitral valve annulus and to permit said arc configuration to vary during the cardiac cycle without extension of said spring.

Claim 10

An annuloplasty ring comprising: an elongate tube of suturable material, a substantially closely wound helical metallic spring member in said tube, said spring member having first and second ends and defining a passage there through, a string extending through said passage, and means securing the string proximate said ends of said spring for preventing extension of said substantially closely wound helical metallic spring member.

Claim 11

An annuloplasty ring comprising: an elongate tube of suturable material, a substantially closely wound helical metallic spring member in said tube, said spring member having first and second ends and defining a passage there through, a string extending through said passage, and means securing the string proximate said ends of said spring for preventing extension of said substantially closely wound helical metallic spring member.

Claim 12

The annuloplasty ring of claim 7 wherein said substantially closely wound helical metallic spring member in said tube, said spring member having first and second ends and defining a passage there through defines an arc corresponding, in use, to the curved anterior segment of the mitral valve annulus and to permit said arc to vary during the cardiac cycle without extension of said spring.

Claim 13

An annuloplasty ring for use in repair a patient's mitral valve annulus, said mitral valve annulus comprising anterior and posterior segments, said annuloplasty ring comprising: an elongate tube of suturable material, an elongate tubular flexible, contractile member configured and constructed to define a passage there through in said tube, said elongate tubular flexible contractile member having first and second ends spaced from each other and defining a passage there through, a string extend through said passage, and plugs in the respective spaced first and second ends securing the string proximate said ends of said elongate tubular flexible contractile member for preventing extension of said elongate tubular flexible contractile member, said tube and elongate tubular flexible contractile member being configured and constructed to encompass, in use, a substantial part but not the entirety of the mitral valve annulus.

Claim 14

An annuloplasty ring for use in repair a patient's mitral valve annulus, said mitral valve annulus comprising anterior and posterior segments, said annuloplasty ring comprising: an elongate tube of suturable material, an elongate tubular flexible, contractile member configured and constructed to define a passage there through in said tube, said elongate tubular flexible contractile member having first and second ends spaced from each other and defining a passage there through, a string extend through said passage, and plugs in the respective spaced first and second ends securing the string proximate said ends of said elongate tubular flexible contractile member for preventing extension of said elongate tubular flexible contractile member, said tube and elongate tubular flexible contractile member being configured and constructed to encompass, in use, a substantial part but not the entirety of the mitral valve annulus.

Claim 15

The annuloplasty ring of claim 9 wherein an elongate tubular flexible non-contractile member and string are configured and constructed and secured together to define an arc configuration corresponding, in use, to the curved anterior segment of the mitral valve annulus and to permit said arc configuration to vary during the cardiac cycle without extension of said elongate tubular flexible non-contractile member.

Claim 16

An annuloplasty ring for use in the repair of a patient's mitral valve annulus, said mitral valve annulus comprising anterior and posterior segments, said annuloplasty ring comprising: an elongate tube of suturable material, an elongate tubular flexible, contractile member configured and constructed to define a passage there through in said tube, said elongate tubular flexible contractile member having first and second ends spaced from each other and defining a passage there through, a string extend through said passage, and means securing the string proximate said ends of said elongate tubular flexible contractile member for preventing extension of said elongate tubular flexible contractile member, said tube and elongate tubular flexible contractile member comprising suturable expanded polytetrafluoroethylene material configured and constructed to define in cross-section an inner annular periphery having a first thickness and an outer annular periphery having a second thickness, the second thickness being substantially less than the first thickness, the thickness of the tube gradually diminishing from the inner periphery to the outer periphery and being configured and constructed to encompass, in use, a substantial part but not the entirety of the mitral valve annulus.

Claim 17

An annuloplasty ring for use in the repair of a patient's mitral valve annulus, said mitral valve annulus comprising anterior and posterior segments, said annuloplasty ring comprising: an elongate tube of suturable material, an elongate tubular flexible, contractile member configured and constructed to define a passage there through in said tube, said elongate tubular flexible contractile member having first and second ends spaced from each other and defining a passage there through, a string extend through said passage, and means securing the string proximate said ends of said elongate tubular flexible contractile member for preventing extension of said elongate tubular flexible contractile member, said tube and elongate tubular flexible contractile member comprising suturable expanded polytetrafluoroethylene material configured and constructed to define in cross-section an inner annular periphery having a first thickness and an outer annular periphery having a second thickness, the second thickness being substantially less than the first thickness, the thickness of the tube gradually diminishing from the inner periphery to the outer periphery and being configured and constructed to encompass, in use, a substantial part but not the entirety of the mitral valve annulus.

Claim 18

The annuloplasty ring of claim 11 wherein an elongate tubular flexible non-contractile member and string are configured and constructed and secured together to define an arc configuration corresponding, in use, to the curved anterior segment of the mitral valve annulus and to permit said arc configuration to vary during the cardiac cycle without extension of said elongate tubular flexible non-contractile member.

Claim 19

An annuloplasty ring for use in repair a patient's mitral valve annulus, said mitral valve annulus comprising anterior and posterior segments, said annuloplasty ring comprising: an elongate tube of suturable material, an elongate tubular flexible, non-contractile member configured and constructed to define a passage there through in said tube, said elongate tubular flexible non-contractile member having first and second ends spaced from each other and defining a passage there through, a string extending through said passage, and means securing the string proximate said ends of said elongate tubular flexible non-contractile member for preventing extension of said elongate tubular flexible non-contractile member, said tube and elongate tubular flexible non-contractile member being configured and constructed to encompass, in use, a substantial part of the anterior segment of the mitral valve annulus, but not to encompass the entire mitral valve annulus, and a thin layer of biocompatible fabric substantially encasing the suturable material to reduce the likelihood that thin layers of tissue may grow there upon and slough off.

Claim 20

An annuloplasty ring for use in repair a patient's mitral valve annulus, said mitral valve annulus comprising anterior and posterior segments, said annuloplasty ring comprising: an elongate tube of suturable material, an elongate tubular flexible, non-contractile member configured and constructed to define a passage there through in said tube, said elongate tubular flexible non-contractile member having first and second ends spaced from each other and defining a passage there through, a string extending through said passage, and means securing the string proximate said ends of said elongate tubular flexible non-contractile member for preventing extension of said elongate tubular flexible non-contractile member, said tube and elongate tubular flexible non-contractile member being configured and constructed to encompass, in use, a substantial part of the anterior segment of the mitral valve annulus, but not to encompass the entire mitral valve annulus, and a thin layer of biocompatible fabric substantially encasing the suturable material to reduce the likelihood that thin layers of tissue may grow there upon and slough off.

Claim 21

An annuloplasty ring for use in repair a patient's mitral valve annulus, said mitral valve annulus comprising anterior and posterior segments, said annuloplasty ring comprising: an elongate tube of suturable expanded polytetrafluoroethylene material; and a very thin layer of biocompatible fabric substantially covering said suturable expanded polytetrafluoroethylene material for promoting tissue in growth and reducing the likelihood that thin layers of tissue may grow on the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene and slough off said annuloplasty ring being constructed and configured to define two discrete ends and, in use, to encompass only a substantial portion, and not the entirety, of the mitral annulus.

Claim 22

An annuloplasty ring for use in repair a patient's mitral valve annulus, said mitral valve annulus comprising anterior and posterior segments, said annuloplasty ring comprising: an elongate tube of suturable expanded polytetrafluoroethylene material; and a very thin layer of biocompatible fabric substantially covering said suturable expanded polytetrafluoroethylene material for promoting tissue in growth and reducing the likelihood that thin layers of tissue may grow on the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene and slough off said annuloplasty ring being constructed and configured to define two discrete ends and, in use, to encompass only a substantial portion, and not the entirety, of the mitral annulus.

Claim 23

An annuloplasty ring for use in repair a patient's valve annulus comprising: an elongate tube of suturable expanded polytetrafluoroethylene material configured and constructed to define in cross-section an inner annular periphery having a first thickness and an outer annular periphery having a second thickness, the second thickness being substantially less than the first thickness, the thickness of the tube gradually diminishing from the inner periphery to the outer periphery, said annuloplasty ring being constructed and configured to define two discrete ends and, in use, to encompass only a substantial portion, and not the entirety, of the mitral annulus.

Claim 24

An annuloplasty ring for use in repair a patient's valve annulus comprising: an elongate tube of suturable expanded polytetrafluoroethylene material configured and constructed to define in cross-section an inner annular periphery having a first thickness and an outer annular periphery having a second thickness, the second thickness being substantially less than the first thickness, the thickness of the tube gradually diminishing from the inner periphery to the outer periphery, said annuloplasty ring being constructed and configured to define two discrete ends and, in use, to encompass only a substantial portion, and not the entirety, of the mitral annulus.