Two-Piece Prosthetic Valves with Snap-In Connection and Methods for Use

• US 20060235508A1
• Filed: 04/10/2006
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Arbor Surgical Technologies, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Lane, Ernest, Lee, Shouyan, Huang, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 7,513,909 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/2.400
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2409 Support rings therefor, e.g. for connecting valves to tissue annuloplasty rings A61F2/2442
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2412 with soft flexible valve members, e.g. tissue valves shaped like natural valves check valves with flexible valve members in general F16K15/14

Abstract

A prosthetic heart valve assembly includes a gasket member and a valve member including a plurality of fasteners and a plurality of engagement members corresponding to the fasteners. The fasteners and/or engagement members may be configured to guide the engagement members into engagement with the fasteners. For example, the fasteners may include U-shaped spring-biased clips, e.g., attached to a core or other portion of a sewing cuff of the gasket member, and the engagement members may include latches or barbed protrusions that engage one or more holes in the fasteners. During use, the gasket member is introduced into a tissue annulus, and secured to the annulus, e.g., using a plurality of clips directed through the sewing cuff. The valve member is then introduced into the annulus and the engagement members are snapped or otherwise guided into engagement with the fasteners to secure the valve member relative to the gasket member.

Claims

1. A prosthetic heart valve, comprising:

a gasket member having a plurality of fasteners contained therein; and

a valve member having a plurality of engagement members corresponding to the fasteners in the gasket member.

2. The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fasteners comprise a plurality of spring-biased clips.

3. The prosthesis of claim 2, wherein the plurality of fasteners comprise a plurality of latches.

4. The prosthesis of claim 2, wherein the plurality of fasteners comprise a plurality barbed protrusions.

5. The prosthesis of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of fasteners includes at least one hole for engaging with a distal tip of a respective engagement member.

9. The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the sewing cuff comprises a core to which the receivers are secured, the sewing cuff further comprising a layer of fabric overlying the core.

10. The prosthesis of claim 9, wherein the layer of fabric comprises an opening overlying each receiver for receiving an engagement member therethrough.

6. A prosthesis for receiving a valve prosthesis, comprising:

an annular member advanceable into a tissue annulus;

a sewing cuff extending radially from the annular member;

a plurality of receivers secured to the sewing cuff, each receiver comprising a pair of legs defining a pocket, the legs being deflectable away from one another to accommodate receiving an engagement member from a valve prosthesis in the pocket, the legs being resiliently deflectable towards one another after an engagement member is received in the pocket for securing the engagement member to the receiver.

7. The prosthesis of claim 6, wherein the legs of each receiver comprise tapered upper edges for guiding an engagement member into the pocket.

8. The prosthesis of claim 6, wherein the receivers comprises spring-biased clips mounted to posts on the sewing cuff.

11. A prosthetic heart valve, comprising:

a gasket member comprising an annular member advanceable into a tissue annulus, and a sewing cuff extending radially from the annular member;

a valve member comprising a frame carrying a plurality of valve elements;

a plurality engagement members extending from one of the gasket member and the valve member; and

a plurality of receivers on the other of the gasket member and the valve member, each receiver comprising a pair of legs defining a pocket, the legs being deflectable away from one another to accommodate receiving a respective engagement member in the pocket, the legs being resiliently deflectable towards one another after the engagement member is received in the pocket for securing the engagement member to the receiver, thereby securing the valve member relative to the gasket member.

12. The prosthetic heart valve of claim 11, wherein the engagement members extend from the frame of the valve member, and the receivers are attached to the gasket member.

13. The prosthetic heart valve of claim 12, wherein the engagement members are integrally formed with the frame.

14. The prosthetic heart valve of claim 11, wherein each engagement member comprises at least one detent, and each receiver comprises at least one hole for receiving the respective detent therein when the engagement member is received in the pocket.

15. The prosthetic heart valve of claim 11, wherein the sewing cuff comprises a flexible core, and wherein the receivers are attached to the core.

16. The prosthetic heart valve of claim 15, wherein the receivers comprises spring clips attached to mounts extending from the core.

17. The prosthetic heart valve of claim 11, wherein each engagement element comprises a tapered or rounded first edge to guide the engagement element into the respective pocket, and a substantially blunt second edge to prevent the engagement element from being removed subsequently from the respective pocket.

18. The prosthetic heart valve of claim 17, wherein each engagement element comprises a pair of detents including tapered or rounded first edges and substantially blunt second edges.

19. The prosthetic heart valve of claim 18, wherein the detents are disposed opposite one another on the engagement element.