(12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,187,323 B2 Mortier Et Al
USOO8187323B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,187,323 B2 Mortier et al. (45) Date of Patent: May 29, 2012 (54) VALVE TO MYOCARDIUM TENSION 4,372,293 A 2/1983 Vijil-Rosales MEMBERS DEVICE AND METHOD 4.409,974 A 10, 1983 Freedland 4,536,893 A 8, 1985 Parravicini 4,690,134 A 9/1987 Snyders (75) Inventors: Todd J. Mortier, Minneapolis, MN 4,705,040 A 1 1/1987 Mueller et al. (US); Cyril J. Schweich, Jr., St. Paul, 4,936,857 A 6, 1990 Kulik MN (US) 4,944,753. A 7/1990 Burgess et al. 4,960,424 A 10, 1990 Grooters (73) Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences, LLC, Irvine, CA 4,997.431 A 3, 1991 Isner et al. US 5,104,407 A 4, 1992 Lam et al. (US) 5,106,386 A 4, 1992 Isner et al. 5,131,905 A 7, 1992 Grooters (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this RE34,021 E 8, 1992 Mueller et al. patent is extended or adjusted under 35 5,169,381 A 12/1992 Snyders U.S.C. 154(b) by 205 days. (Continued) (21) Appl. No.: 09/981,790 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS (22) Filed: Oct. 19, 2001 DE 36 14292 c 111987 (Continued) (65) Prior Publication Data OTHER PUBLICATIONS US 20O2/OO2908O A1 Mar. 7, 2002 Dickstein et al., “Heart Reduction Surgery: An Analysis of the Impact Related U.S. Application Data on Cardiac Function.” The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular (63) Continuation of application No. 08/992.316, filed on Surgery, vol.
[Show full text]