BACKGROUND

The embodiments described herein relate generally to transcatheter prosthetic valves and more particularly, to delivery and/or retrieval devices and methods for side-deliverable transcatheter prosthetic valves.

Prosthetic heart valves can pose challenges for delivery, deployment, and/or retrieval within a heart, particularly for delivery by catheters through the patient's vasculature rather than through a surgical approach. Delivery of traditional transcatheter prosthetic valves generally includes compressing the valve in a radial direction and loading the valve into a delivery catheter such that a central annular axis of the valve is parallel to a lengthwise or longitudinal axis of the delivery catheter. The valves are deployed from an end of the delivery catheter and expanded outwardly in a radial direction from the central annular axis. The expanded size (e.g., diameter) of traditional valves, however, can be limited by the internal diameter of the delivery catheter. The competing interest of minimizing delivery catheter size presents challenges to increasing the expanded diameter of traditional valves (e.g., trying to compress too much material and structure into too little space). Moreover, the orientation of the traditional valves during deployment can create additional challenges when trying to align the valves with the native valve annulus.

Some transcatheter prosthetic valves can be configured for side and/or orthogonal delivery, which can allow for an increase in an expanded diameter of the side-delivered valve relative to traditional valves. For example, in a side (orthogonal) delivery, the valve can be placed in a compressed or delivery configuration and loaded into a delivery catheter such that a central annular axis of the valve is substantially perpendicular and/or orthogonal to a lengthwise or longitudinal axis of the delivery catheter. More particularly, the valve can be compressed axially (e.g., along the central annular axis) and laterally (e.g., perpendicular to each of the central annular axis and a longitudinal axis of the valve), and uncompressed or elongated longitudinally (e.g., in a direction parallel to the lengthwise or longitudinal axis of the delivery catheter). The compressed valve (e.g., the valve in a delivery configuration) can be loaded into the delivery catheter, advanced through a lumen thereof, and deployed from the end of the delivery catheter. Moreover, the side-delivered valve is generally in a desired orientation relative to the native valve annulus when deployed from the end of the delivery catheter.

In some implementations, however, challenges associated with compressing the side-deliverable valve and/or the loading of the valve into a delivery system may persist. In addition, in some instances, it may be desirable to retrieve or at least partially retrieve the valve after deployment of valve from the end of the delivery catheter.

Accordingly, a need exists for delivery and/or retrieval devices and methods for side-deliverable transcatheter prosthetic valves.

SUMMARY

The embodiments described herein are directed to side-deliverable prosthetic valves and devices and/or methods for delivering and/or retrieving the side-deliverable prosthetic valves. In some embodiments, a delivery system for side-delivery of a transcatheter prosthetic valve includes a compression device, a loading device, and a delivery device. The compression device defines a lumen that extends through a proximal end and a distal end, with a perimeter of the lumen at the proximal end being larger than a perimeter of the lumen of the distal end. The loading device defines a lumen that extends through a proximal end and a distal end thereof. A perimeter of the lumen of the loading device is substantially similar to the perimeter of the lumen at the distal end of the compression device. The proximal end of the loading device is coupleable to the compression device and the distal end of the loading device includes a first gate that is movable between an open state and a closed state in which the first gate at least partially occludes the lumen of the loading device. The delivery device has a handle and a delivery catheter extending distally from the handle. The handle and the delivery catheter collectively define a lumen that extends through the delivery device. A perimeter of the lumen of the delivery device is substantially similar to the perimeter of the lumen of the loading device. A proximal end of the handle is coupleable to the distal end of the loading device and includes a second gate that is movable between an open state and a closed state in which the second gate at least partially occludes the lumen of the delivery device.

