Percutaneous minimally invasive neochordal device for mitral valve repair

Stanford researchers have developed a new transcatheter, minimally invasive neochordal device for repair of mitral regurgitation, which does not require open heart surgery nor cardiopulmonary bypass. As opposed to existing percutaneous neochord devices, which usually utilize a transapical approach via an incision at the apex of the heart, this device is administered percutaneously, entering the venous system and targeting the mitral valve through the atrial septum. This geometry allows for direct positioning of the neochord on the posterior left ventricular myocardium, a surgery known as called posterior ventricular anchoring neochordal repair. Dr. Joseph Woo, renowned chairman and surgeon of Stanford Cardiothoracic Surgery, invented this procedure, which has been shown to provide tremendous repair results and patient outcomes.

Additionally, recent studies have shown that the shorter neochordal length, accomplished with posterior left ventricular targeting, results in reduced forces on the neochord and surrounding existing chordal architecture, translating to very low failure rates, reduced fatigue damage, greater repair durability, and outstanding patient outcomes. This new invention directly addresses some of the largest concerns regarding treatment of one of the most prevalent valvular diseases in the world, and enables a higher quality repair without the trauma of major surgery nor the rare expertise of surgeons from high volume treatment centers, leveraging advanced, minimally invasive transcatheter technologies of the future.

Figure

Figure description - Drawings demonstrating the posterior ventricular anchoring neochordal repair procedure. Our device accomplishes the goals of this procedure transcatheter, implanting an anchoring neochord on the posterior left ventricular myocardium. Full descriptions of each panel can be found in the referenced paper. https://doi.org/10.1093/ejcts/ezt092

Stage of Development

Continued Iterative Prototyping

In vitro validation

Planned large animal in vivo studies