Alain Cribier (1945-2024), a French cardiologist, developed a device for transcatheter aortic valve replacement, for the relief of aortic stenosis (calcified valve tissue), in the late 1990s. The first animal studies were performed in 2000, and the first human implantation in 2002. In 2004, Edwards Lifesciences bought PVT, the firm begun by Dr. Cribier and his colleagues, and brought the new technique to the United States. Further development led to a version termed the Edwards Sapien. This Edwards Lifesciences Commander Delivery System was designed to transport an Edwards SAPIEN 3 heart valve (like this example) through the femoral artery to the heart.
Ref: “Heart Valve Implants Using Catheter and Cow,” New York Times (June 22, 2015), pp. A1 and A9.
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