HOWARD C HERRMANN, MD
Osteopathic Medicine at Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA

7998129, Aug 16, 2011

Mar 10, 2005

10/591963

Howard C Herrmann - Philadelphia PA, US
Y Joseph Woo - Lafayette Hill PA, US

The Trustees Of The University Of Pennsylvainia - Philadelphia PA

A61M 31/00, A61M 37/00

604509, 60410314

A method and device that addresses the problem of an incompetent aortic valve by using a simple cardioplegia catheter that can deliver cardioplegia solution to the coronary arteries through the usual aortic cannulation site even in the presence of aortic valve incompetence. The device includes a cardioplegia cannula () with an additional lumen containing a nitinol wire () inside it that allows advancement of a folded nitinol umbrella () with a non-porous membrane or a compressed nitinol ring that covers the aortic valve when opened. During installation, after puncture of the aorta by the coaxial needle and removal of the coaxial needle but before installation of the cardioplegia solution through the central lumen of the catheter, the nitinol umbrella (in folded position) or nitinol ring (in compressed position) is advanced through the second lumen into the aorta just above the aortic valve. The nitinol umbrella is unfolded using the nitinol wire to expose the inverted umbrella configuration with attached membrane and is then advanced as a unit with the cardioplegia catheter until the nitinol umbrella covers the aortic valve at its deployed position.