Cutting stiff heart valve flaps to make catheter valve replacement safer
Simple and Effective Laceration of Potentially-calcified Leaflets as an Adjunct to Transcatheter Valve Replacement
This project tries a simple way to split calcified valve leaflets so people getting catheter-based heart valve replacements face fewer complications.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11247966 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Doctors are developing a technique to lacerate (split) calcified valve leaflets before placing a new valve via catheter to prevent the old tissue from blocking blood flow. The team will refine the cutting approach and any delivery tools, use imaging to guide the procedure, and test the method in models and early patient procedures. The aim is to stop displaced leaflet tissue from obstructing coronary arteries or the heart outflow tract. If successful, the method could let more patients get less-invasive valve replacements safely.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who need transcatheter aortic or mitral valve replacement and have calcified or obstructive native leaflets that put them at risk during valve implantation are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Patients who are good candidates for conventional surgery, whose valves are not at risk of obstructing blood flow, or who do not need transcatheter replacement are unlikely to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This could expand access to catheter valve replacements and lower risks like coronary or outflow-tract obstruction during the procedure.
How similar studies have performed: Related leaflet-laceration approaches such as LAMPOON have shown feasibility in early clinical cases, but simpler and more widely adoptable techniques are still being developed.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston Children's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dupont, Pierre E — Boston Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Dupont, Pierre E
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.