Prosthetic heart valve formation
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of forming a prosthetic heart valve, the method comprising:
- forming a base defining a cylindrical passage therethrough;
forming a plurality of leaflets, each leaflet having a root portion and an edge portion opposite the root portion, each leaflet comprising at least two polymers and having a uniform thickness;
coupling the root portion of each of the plurality of leaflets to the base such that each edge portion is movable relative to the root portion to coapt with the edge portion of at least one of the other leaflets of the plurality of leaflets;
wherein a first polymer of the at least two polymers is in the form of a plurality of fibers at least partially embedded in a second polymer of the at least two polymers and extending from the root portion to the edge portion within each leaflet; and
wherein the fibers are arranged such that a fiber concentration gradient is formed from the root portion to the edge portion within each leaflet such that there is a decreasing concentration of fibers in a direction from the root portion to the edge portion within each leaflet.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A prosthetic heart valve includes a base and a plurality of polymeric leaflets. Each leaflet has a root portion coupled to the base, and each leaflet has an edge portion substantially opposite the root portion and movable relative to the root portion to coapt with a respective edge portion of at least one of the other leaflets of the plurality of leaflets. Each leaflet includes) at least two polymers along at least one portion of the leaflet, and each leaflet has a composition gradient of each of the at least two polymers along at least one portion of the leaflet.
-
Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A method of forming a prosthetic heart valve, the method comprising:
-
forming a base defining a cylindrical passage therethrough; forming a plurality of leaflets, each leaflet having a root portion and an edge portion opposite the root portion, each leaflet comprising at least two polymers and having a uniform thickness; coupling the root portion of each of the plurality of leaflets to the base such that each edge portion is movable relative to the root portion to coapt with the edge portion of at least one of the other leaflets of the plurality of leaflets; wherein a first polymer of the at least two polymers is in the form of a plurality of fibers at least partially embedded in a second polymer of the at least two polymers and extending from the root portion to the edge portion within each leaflet; and wherein the fibers are arranged such that a fiber concentration gradient is formed from the root portion to the edge portion within each leaflet such that there is a decreasing concentration of fibers in a direction from the root portion to the edge portion within each leaflet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A method of forming a prosthetic heart valve, the method comprising:
-
forming a base defining a cylindrical passage therethrough; forming a plurality of leaflets, each leaflet having a root portion and an edge portion opposite the root portion, each leaflet comprising at least two polymers and having a uniform thickness; wherein the base and each of the plurality of leaflets are integrally formed such that the root portion each of the plurality of leaflets is integral with the base, and wherein each edge portion is movable relative to each root portion to coapt with the edge portion of at least one of the other leaflets of the plurality of leaflets; wherein a first polymer of the at least two polymers is in the form of a plurality of fibers at least partially embedded in a second polymer of the at least two polymers and extending from the root portion to the edge portion within each leaflet; and wherein the fibers are arranged such that a fiber concentration gradient is formed from the root portion to the edge portion within each leaflet such that there is a decreasing concentration of fibers in a direction from the root portion to the edge portion within each leaflet.
-
Specification