| abstract |
The invention includes methods of and apparatus for endovascularly replacing a heart valve of a patient. One aspect of the invention provides a method including the steps of endovascularly delivering a replacement valve and an expandable anchor in an unexpanded configuration within a sheath to a vicinity of the heart valve; deploying the anchor from the sheath; expanding the anchor with a deployment tool comprising a plurality of actuation elements to contact tissue at an anchor site; and retrieving the anchor into the sheath. Another aspect of the invention provides apparatus including a sheath; a deployment tool comprising a plurality of anchor actuation elements; a replacement valve configured to be disposed within the sheath for delivery to a vicinity of the heart valve; and an expandable anchor configured to be disposed within the sheath for delivery to the vicinity of the heart valve, to be deployed from the sheath, to be expanded by the deployment tool to contact tissue at an anchor site and to be retrieved back into the sheath after having been expanded. |