MINIMALLY-INVASIVE HEART VALVES
First Claim
1. A prosthetic heart valve, comprising:
- a collapsible and expandable support stent formed of a self-expanding metallic material, the support stent including a generally tubular base along an inflow end and three commissure posts provided along an outflow end and extending in an outflow direction, the three commissure posts being cantilevered from the base, each commissure post having a slot formed therein; and
a flexible tubular member configured for attachment to the support stent, the flexible tubular member comprising a fabric section connected to the base along the inflow end of the support stent and a leaflet section defining three leaflets connected to the commissure posts along the outflow end of the support stent, wherein portions of the leaflet section extend outward through the slots in the commissure posts for securing the leaflet section to the commissure posts;
wherein the base of the support stent is configured for contacting the annulus of a native aortic valve and wherein the commissure posts of the support stent support the three leaflets downstream of the base.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Expandable prosthetic heart valves for minimally invasive valve replacement are disclosed. In one preferred embodiment, an expandable prosthetic heart valve includes a support stent comprising an expandable tubular base along an inflow end and three upstanding commissure posts along an outflow end. The three commissure posts are spaced at 120 degree intervals with gaps therebetween. The prosthetic heart valve further includes a tubular flexible member having a prosthetic section and a fabric section. The prosthetic section is connected to the three commissure posts and defines three leaflets, preferably formed of pericardial tissue. The fabric section is sutured to the expandable tubular base. The tubular base may be formed with a shape memory material and is sized for deployment with an annulus of a native aortic valve. After deployment, the three commissure posts support the leaflets above the tubular base for replacing the function of the native aortic valve. In one variation, flanges may be provided on the support stent for improving attachment of the support stent to the host tissue.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A prosthetic heart valve, comprising:
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a collapsible and expandable support stent formed of a self-expanding metallic material, the support stent including a generally tubular base along an inflow end and three commissure posts provided along an outflow end and extending in an outflow direction, the three commissure posts being cantilevered from the base, each commissure post having a slot formed therein; and a flexible tubular member configured for attachment to the support stent, the flexible tubular member comprising a fabric section connected to the base along the inflow end of the support stent and a leaflet section defining three leaflets connected to the commissure posts along the outflow end of the support stent, wherein portions of the leaflet section extend outward through the slots in the commissure posts for securing the leaflet section to the commissure posts; wherein the base of the support stent is configured for contacting the annulus of a native aortic valve and wherein the commissure posts of the support stent support the three leaflets downstream of the base. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A prosthetic heart valve, comprising:
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a collapsible and expandable support stent made with a self-expanding metallic material, the support stent including a generally tubular base along an inflow end and three commissure posts provided along an outflow end and extending in an outflow direction, the commissure posts being spaced in 120 degree intervals with gaps therebetween, the support stent further comprising at least one attachment member for improved attachment to host tissue; a fabric section connected to the base along the inflow end of the support stent, the fabric section made from a polyester material; and a leaflet section defining three leaflets formed of bovine pericardium, the three leaflets attached to the commissure posts for opening and closing; wherein the base of the support stent is configured for contacting the annulus of a native aortic valve and wherein the commissure posts of the support stent are configured to maintain the three leaflets at a location downstream of the annulus of the native aortic valve. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A prosthetic heart valve, comprising:
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a collapsible and expandable support made with a metallic material, the support stent including a generally tubular base along an inflow end and three commissure posts provided along an outflow end and extending in an outflow direction, the commissure posts being spaced in 120 degree intervals with gaps therebetween; a fabric section connected to the base along the inflow end of the support stent, the fabric section made from a polyester material; and a leaflet section formed of bovine pericardium, the leaflet section attached to the fabric section by sutures along a seam, the leaflet section being attached to the commissure posts and defining three leaflets for opening and closing; wherein the base of the support stent is configured for contacting the annulus of a native aortic valve and wherein the commissure posts of the support stent are configured to maintain the three leaflets at a location downstream of the annulus of the native aortic valve. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification