Passive Alignment of Commissures in Prosthetic Heart Valve Implantation
Summary
St. Jude Medical, Cardiology Division, Inc. published a patent application for a delivery device enabling passive alignment of commissures during prosthetic heart valve implantation. The device features an inner shaft, outer shaft, distal sheath, and a biasing spine that directs bending in a pre-determined direction to facilitate proper valve positioning. The application (US20260090886A1) was published April 2, 2026, with a filing date of December 9, 2025.
What changed
The patent application discloses a collapsible prosthetic heart valve delivery device with mechanisms for passive commissure alignment during implantation. The device incorporates an inner shaft, outer shaft, and distal sheath configured to form a compartment sized to receive the prosthetic valve. A spine extending along the outer shaft biases the device to bend in a predetermined direction, enabling consistent alignment without active manipulation. The invention addresses challenges in positioning prosthetic valves by providing controlled directional flexibility during deployment.
Patent applications do not impose compliance obligations on regulated entities. Medical device manufacturers and healthcare providers have no immediate regulatory action items related to this filing. However, companies developing transcatheter valve delivery systems should monitor this patent as an indicator of St. Jude Medical's product development trajectory and potential future market competition. No comment periods or compliance deadlines apply to patent publications.
Archived snapshot
Apr 2, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Passive Alignment of Commissures in Prosthetic Heart Valve Implantation
Application US20260090886A1 Kind: A1 Apr 02, 2026
Assignee
St. Jude Medical, Cardiology Division, Inc.
Inventors
Brandon Moore, Daniel J. Klima, Kristopher Henry Vietmeier, Jay Reimer, Peter J. Ness, Ryan Finn, Jeffrey Paul LaPlante, Michael Shane Morrissey
Abstract
A delivery device for a collapsible prosthetic heart valve includes an inner shaft, an outer shaft, and a distal sheath. The distal sheath may be disposed distal to the outer shaft and about a portion of the inner shaft to form a compartment with the inner shaft. The compartment may be sized to receive the prosthetic heart valve. The inner shaft and the distal sheath may be movable relative to one another. A spine may extend along the outer shaft, the spine biasing the outer shaft so that the outer shaft tends to bend in a pre-determined direction.
CPC Classifications
A61F 2/2436 A61M 25/0074 A61M 25/0113 A61M 25/0125 A61B 2017/00243 A61B 2017/00314 A61B 2017/00867 A61F 2002/9534 A61F 2210/0014 A61F 2230/0006 A61F 2230/006 A61M 25/0152
Filing Date
2025-12-09
Application No.
19413720
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