Patent attributes
A device for fracturing calcifications in heart valves including a catheter (12, 22, 42) configured for percutaneous delivery to a heart valve, an fracture-producing element (14, 26, 46, 64, 66,82, 124, 152) disposed at a distal portion of the catheter and operative to vibrate and mechanically fracture calcifications when brought into contact with a calcification at a leaflet of the heart valve, and an energy source (34, 47, 79, 98, 152) operative to vibrate the fracture-producing element so that the fracture-producing element fractures the calcification without necessarily removing the calcification from the leaflet. The device may further comprise a valvuloplasty balloon (30), an embolic protection net (56) and a protective sleeve (110, 130).
