CUFF STITCHING REINFORCEMENT

• US 20150148893A1
• Filed: 11/20/2014
• Published: 05/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Braido, Peter N., McCarthy, Andrea L., Smith, Kent J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,314,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/2.4
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2418 Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0008 Fixation appliances for connecting prostheses to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0023 differing in porosity
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0063 Nested prosthetic parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0069 Sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: D05B 1/12 Lock-stitch seams
• CPC Class Codes: D05B 1/14 Combined or alternative chain-stitch and lock-stitch seams

Abstract

A prosthetic heart valve includes a collapsible and expandable stent having a proximal end, a distal end, an annulus section adjacent the proximal end and an aortic section adjacent the distal end, the stent including a plurality of struts. A cuff may be coupled to the stent so that a flat, bottom edge of the cuff lies adjacent the proximal end of the stent. A pattern of stitches may be circumferentially disposed around the flat bottom edge of the cuff, the pattern of stitches alternating between stitches sewn to the cuff only and stitches sewn to both the cuff and the stent.

Claims

1. A prosthetic heart valve, comprising:

a collapsible and expandable stent having a proximal end, a distal end, an annulus section adjacent the proximal end and an aortic section adjacent the distal end, the stent including a plurality of struts;

a cuff coupled to the stent so that a flat bottom edge of the cuff lies adjacent the proximal end of the stent; and

a pattern of stitches circumferentially disposed around the flat bottom edge of the cuff, the pattern of stitches alternating between stitches sewn to the cuff only and stitches sewn to both the cuff and the stent.

2. The prosthetic heart valve of claim 1, wherein the pattern of stitches includes a plurality of locking stitches.

3. The prosthetic heart valve of claim 1, wherein the pattern of stitches includes a recurring pattern comprised of a first type of stitch and a second type of stitch.

4. The prosthetic heart valve of claim 3, wherein the first type of stitch is a locking stitch sewn to the cuff only.

5. The prosthetic heart valve of claim 3, wherein the second type of stitch is a locking stitch sewn to the cuff and at least a portion of the stent.

6. The prosthetic heart valve of claim 3, wherein the recurring pattern includes two adjacent stitches of the first type followed by a single stitch of the second type.

7. The prosthetic heart valve of claim 1, wherein the plurality of struts form horseshoe-shaped portions at the proximal end of the stent, and the pattern of stitches couples the cuff to the horseshoe-shaped portions.

8. The prosthetic heart valve of claim 7, wherein the pattern of stitches includes locking stitches sewn only to the cuff between the horseshoe-shaped portions.

9. A prosthetic heart valve, comprising:

a collapsible and expandable stent having a proximal end, a distal end, an annulus section adjacent the proximal end and an aortic section adjacent the distal end, the stent including a plurality of struts and a plurality of commissure features;

a cuff coupled to the stent so that a top edge of the cuff lies adjacent the plurality of commissure features; and

a plurality of tethers incorporated along the top edge of the cuff and coupled to the cuff only.

10. The prosthetic heart valve of claim 9, wherein the top edge of the cuff includes a plurality of peaks coupled to the commissure features.

11. The prosthetic heart valve of claim 10, wherein the plurality of tethers includes at least one vertical tether and at least one horizontal tether.

12. The prosthetic heart valve of claim 11, wherein adjacent ones of the plurality of peaks are coupled to one another via the at least one horizontal tether.

13. The prosthetic heart valve of claim 11, wherein the at least one vertical tether is coupled to the at least one horizontal tether.

14. The prosthetic heart valve of claim 11, wherein the at least one vertical tether includes multiple vertical tethers disposed between the plurality of peaks.

15. A method of making a prosthetic heart valve, comprising:

providing a collapsible and expandable stent having a proximal end, a distal end, an annulus section adjacent the proximal end and an aortic section adjacent the distal end, the stent including a plurality of struts;

coupling a cuff to the stent so that a flat bottom edge of the cuff lies adjacent the proximal end of the stent; and

sewing a pattern of stitches circumferentially around the flat bottom edge of the cuff, the pattern of stitches alternating between stitches sewn to the cuff only and stitches sewn to both the cuff and the stent.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein sewing a pattern of stitches comprises forming a plurality of locking stitches.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein sewing a pattern of stitches comprises sewing a recurring pattern comprised of a first type of stitch and a second type of stitch.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein sewing a pattern of stitches comprises sewing a first type of stitch that is a locking stitch sewn to the cuff only.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein sewing a pattern of stitches comprises sewing a second type of stitch that is a locking stitch sewn to the cuff and at least a portion of the stent.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of struts form horseshoe-shaped portions at the proximal end of the stent, and wherein sewing a pattern of stitches comprises sewing the cuff to the horseshoe-shaped portions.