Heart Valve Prosthesis and Methods of Manufacture and Use
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Abstract
A heart valve prosthesis is provided having a self-expanding multi-level frame that supports a valve body comprising a skirt and plurality of coapting leaflets. The frame transitions between a contracted delivery configuration that enables percutaneous transluminal delivery, and an expanded deployed configuration having an asymmetric hourglass shape. The valve body skirt and leaflets are constructed so that the center of coaptation may be selected to reduce horizontal forces applied to the commissures of the valve, and to efficiently distribute and transmit forces along the leaflets and to the frame. Alternatively, the valve body may be used as a surgically implantable replacement valve prosthesis.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1-22. -22. (canceled)
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23. :
- A valve prosthesis comprising;
a valve body comprising three leaflets, wherein adjoining leaflets are sewn together to form commissures; and a self-expanding frame, the frame having an inflow section having a first row of cells, an outflow section having a second row of cells and including an eyelet, and a middle region between the inflow section and the outflow section, wherein the middle region is configured to avoid blocking blood flow to the coronary arteries when the frame is implanted in a body, wherein the area of individual cells in the first row of cells is less than the area of individual cells in the second row of cells, wherein the frame supports the valve body, wherein the frame has a longitudinal axis, wherein the frame has a contracted delivery configuration and an expanded deployed configuration, wherein, when the frame is in the expanded deployed configuration, the outflow section has a larger diameter than the inflow section, wherein a plurality of cells of the frame are positioned between the cells spanned by commissures, wherein each leaflet has a free edge that is suspended from the leaflet'"'"'s commissures to define coaptation edges and a center of coaptation, and wherein the length of each free edge forms a substantially continuous curve extending downwardly between the respective commissures so that the free edges of the leaflets generally define the shape of catenaries to substantially uniformly distribute loads over the leaflets. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
- A valve prosthesis comprising;
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38. :
- A valve prosthesis comprising;
a valve body comprising three leaflets, wherein adjoining leaflets are sewn together to form commissures; and a self-expanding frame comprising a plurality of cells, the frame having an inflow section, an outflow section, and a middle region between the inflow section and the outflow section, wherein the middle region is configured to avoid blocking blood flow to the coronary arteries when the frame is implanted in a body, wherein the frame supports the valve body, wherein the frame has a longitudinal axis, wherein the frame has a contracted delivery configuration and an expanded deployed configuration, wherein, when the frame is in the expanded deployed configuration, the outflow section has a larger diameter than the inflow section, wherein each commissure is configured to span a cell of the frame to distribute force within the commissures and to the frame, and wherein a plurality of cells of the frame are positioned between the cells spanned by commissures, wherein each leaflet has a free edge that is suspended from the leaflet'"'"'s commissures to define coaptation edges and a center of coaptation, and wherein the length of each free edge forms a substantially continuous curve extending downwardly between the respective commissures so that the free edges of the leaflets generally define the shape of catenaries to substantially uniformly distribute loads over the leaflets.
- A valve prosthesis comprising;
Specification