Sutureless heart valve attachment
First Claim
1. A non-expandable prosthetic heart valve for implantation at a heart valve annulus, comprising:
- a non-expandable heart valve frame defining an orifice around an axis;
a valve member including at least one leaflet mounted to the frame and extending within the orifice, the valve member being operable to permit blood flow in one axial direction through the orifice and occlude flow in the opposite direction; and
an anchoring sleeve surrounding the frame at least partly made of a material that increases in size due to absorption of body fluids, the anchoring sleeve being configured with sufficient mechanical strength to provide the primary means for anchoring the prosthetic heart valve to the annulus.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A prosthetic heart valve having an anchoring sleeve that changes shape when the valve is implanted and contacts the surrounding annulus to prevent migration of the valve. The heart valve may be non-expandable and the anchoring sleeve may provide the primary anchoring structure of the valve. Alternatively, the valve may be expandable wherein the anchoring sleeve supplements the inherent anchoring capacity of the valve structure. The anchoring sleeve is at least partly made of a material that increases in size, i.e., swells, due to absorption of body fluids. For instance, the anchoring sleeve may be formed of an inner material that swells upon contact with body fluids enclosed by a cover. The anchoring sleeve desirably changes shape to provide spaced apart annular flanges for securing the valve around a fibrous annulus. An anchoring sleeve for a prosthetic heart valve having an expandable frame surrounds a majority of the frame and may define an external hourglass configuration.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A non-expandable prosthetic heart valve for implantation at a heart valve annulus, comprising:
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a non-expandable heart valve frame defining an orifice around an axis; a valve member including at least one leaflet mounted to the frame and extending within the orifice, the valve member being operable to permit blood flow in one axial direction through the orifice and occlude flow in the opposite direction; and an anchoring sleeve surrounding the frame at least partly made of a material that increases in size due to absorption of body fluids, the anchoring sleeve being configured with sufficient mechanical strength to provide the primary means for anchoring the prosthetic heart valve to the annulus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An expandable prosthetic heart valve for implantation at a heart valve annulus, comprising:
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an expandable heart valve frame defining an orifice around an axis, the frame being convertible between a first, compressed state and a second, expanded state sized to contact a heart valve annulus; a valve member including at least one leaflet mounted to the frame and extending within the orifice, the valve member being operable to permit blood flow in one axial direction through the orifice and occlude flow in the opposite direction when the frame is in its second, expanded state; and an anchoring sleeve surrounding a majority of the frame at least partly made of a material that increases in size due to absorption of body fluids, the anchoring sleeve being configured with sufficient mechanical strength to assist the frame in anchoring the prosthetic heart valve to the annulus. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of anchoring a prosthetic heart valve to a heart valve annulus, comprising:
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providing a prosthetic heart valve including a heart valve frame defining an orifice and a one-way valve member mounted to the frame and extending within the orifice, the prosthetic heart about further including an anchoring sleeve surrounding the frame at least partly made of a material that increases in size due to absorption of body fluids and being configured with sufficient mechanical strength to assist the frame in anchoring the prosthetic heart valve to the annulus; and delivering the prosthetic heart valve to a heart valve annulus and maintaining a desired position of the prosthetic heart valve long enough for the anchoring sleeve to increase in size from absorption of body fluids and anchor the prosthetic heart valve to the annulus. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification