Heart valves with increased effective orifice area
First Claim
1. A prosthetic heart valve, comprising:
- a first undulating wireform comprising an elongated rod-like structure having a peripheral shape continuously alternating around a central axis, three curvilinear cusps on an inflow end and three curvilinear commissures on an outflow end;
a second undulating wireform comprising an elongated rod-like structure having a peripheral shape continuously alternating around the axis, three curvilinear cusps on an inflow end and three curvilinear commissures on an outflow end, wherein the first and second wireforms are separate elements,wherein the cusps and commissures of the two wireforms are circumferentially aligned around the axis with the aligned cusps positioned adjacent to one another while the commissures of the first wireform are shorter in height than the commissures of the second wireform, and wherein the heart valve has no rigid annular components; and
wherein the heart valve has no rigid annular components; and
a plurality of flexible leaflets having outer edges secured at the cusps of the first and second undulating wireforms, wherein the cusps of the first wireform are located axially below the cusps of the second wireform and the outer edges of the flexible leaflets are secured therebetween.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A prosthetic heart valve for implant in a human. The valve includes a wireform with undulating inflow cusps and outflow commissure posts to which flexible leaflets attach and coapt in a flow area. Each leaflet may drape over the top of the wireform in the cusp area, but have tabs that each extend underneath the wireform at the commissure posts to be secured along with a tab of an adjacent leaflet. The prosthetic heart valve may also be a dual-wire wireform, with the leaflets sandwiched therebetween. One wireform may be larger than the other, with the leaflets extending over the smaller wireform. The smaller wireform may have commissures that bend radially outward from the larger wireform to provide structure to which the leaflet tabs attach.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A prosthetic heart valve, comprising:
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a first undulating wireform comprising an elongated rod-like structure having a peripheral shape continuously alternating around a central axis, three curvilinear cusps on an inflow end and three curvilinear commissures on an outflow end; a second undulating wireform comprising an elongated rod-like structure having a peripheral shape continuously alternating around the axis, three curvilinear cusps on an inflow end and three curvilinear commissures on an outflow end, wherein the first and second wireforms are separate elements, wherein the cusps and commissures of the two wireforms are circumferentially aligned around the axis with the aligned cusps positioned adjacent to one another while the commissures of the first wireform are shorter in height than the commissures of the second wireform, and wherein the heart valve has no rigid annular components; and
wherein the heart valve has no rigid annular components; anda plurality of flexible leaflets having outer edges secured at the cusps of the first and second undulating wireforms, wherein the cusps of the first wireform are located axially below the cusps of the second wireform and the outer edges of the flexible leaflets are secured therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A prosthetic heart valve, comprising:
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a first undulating wireform comprising a preformed wire having a peripheral shape continuously alternating around a central axis, three curvilinear cusps on an inflow end and three curvilinear commissures on an outflow end; a second undulating wireform comprising a preformed wire having a peripheral shape continuously alternating around the axis, three curvilinear cusps on an inflow end and three curvilinear commissures on an outflow end, wherein the first and second wireforms are separate elements; wherein the cusps and commissures of the two wireforms are circumferentially aligned around the axis with the aligned cusps positioned adjacent to one another while the commissures of the first wireform are shorter in height than the commissures of the second wireform, and wherein the heart valve has no rigid annular components; and
wherein the heart valve has no rigid annular components; anda plurality of flexible leaflets having outer edges secured at the cusps of the first and second undulating wireforms, wherein the second wireform is located axially above the first wireform with no axially overlapping portions. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification