REPLACEMENT HEART VALVE WITH IMPROVED STITCHING

• US 20170304049A1
• Filed: 04/21/2017
• Published: 10/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Hayes, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,405,974 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06166 Sutures suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06171 helically or spirally coiled for needles A61B2017/06076
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2403 with pivoting rigid closure members check valves with hinged closure members in general F16K15/03
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2409 Support rings therefor, e.g. for connecting valves to tissue annuloplasty rings A61F2/2442
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2418 Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2427 Devices for manipulating or deploying heart valves during implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2445 Annuloplasty rings in direct contact with the valve annulus
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2469 with resilient valve members, e.g. conical spiral
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• 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 2230/0006 circular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0069 Sealing means

Abstract

A replacement heart valve implant may include an expandable anchor member, a plurality of valve leaflets disposed within the anchor member, a seal member disposed about a distal portion of the anchor member, one or more whip sutures attaching a distal end of the seal member to a distal end of the plurality of valve leaflets at a joint, one or more distal lashing sutures attaching a distal portion of the seal member to a distal end of the anchor member, and a plurality of proximal lashing sutures attaching a proximal portion of the seal member to the distal portion of the anchor member, wherein the one or more distal lashing sutures does not extend through the seal member.

Claims

1. A replacement heart valve implant, comprising:

an expandable anchor member;

a plurality of valve leaflets disposed within the anchor member;

a seal member disposed about a distal portion of the anchor member;

one or more whip sutures attaching a distal end of the seal member to a distal end of the plurality of valve leaflets at a joint;

one or more distal lashing sutures attaching a distal portion of the seal member to a distal end of the anchor member; and

a plurality of proximal lashing sutures attaching a proximal portion of the seal member to the distal portion of the anchor member;

wherein the one or more distal lashing sutures does not extend through the seal member.

2. The replacement heart valve implant of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the seal member includes a reinforcing band coupled to the seal member.

3. The replacement heart valve implant of claim 2, wherein the reinforcing band is at least partially embedded within the seal member.

4. The replacement heart valve implant of claim 2, wherein the one or more whip sutures attach the reinforcing band to the distal end of the plurality of valve leaflets.

5. The replacement heart valve implant of claim 2, wherein the one or more distal lashing sutures attach the reinforcing band to the distal end of the anchor member.

6. The replacement heart valve implant of claim 1, wherein the one or more distal lashing sutures attach the one or more whip sutures to the distal end of the anchor member.

7. The replacement heart valve implant of claim 6, wherein the one or more distal lashing sutures directly attach the one or more whip sutures to the distal end of the anchor member.

8. The replacement heart valve implant of claim 1, wherein the one or more whip sutures form one or more first helical spirals about the joint.

9. The replacement heart valve implant of claim 1, wherein the one or more distal lashing sutures form one or more second helical spirals about the distal end of the anchor member.

10. A suture lattice for a replacement heart valve implant, comprising:

a whip suture attaching a plurality of valve leaflets to a seal member at a joint; and

a distal lashing suture attaching a distal portion of the seal member to a distal end of an expandable anchor member;

wherein the distal lashing suture is interwoven with the whip suture.

11. The suture lattice for a replacement heart valve implant of claim 10, wherein the plurality of valve leaflets is not directly attached to the anchor member.

12. The suture lattice for a replacement heart valve implant of claim 10, wherein the whip suture forms a first spiral oriented in a first direction about the joint.

13. The suture lattice for a replacement heart valve implant of claim 12, wherein the distal lashing suture forms a second spiral oriented in a second direction about the distal end of the anchor member.

14. The suture lattice for a replacement heart valve implant of claim 13, wherein the first direction is the same as the second direction.

15. The suture lattice for a replacement heart valve implant of claim 13, wherein the first direction is opposite the second direction.

16. A method of manufacturing a replacement heart valve implant, comprising:

positioning a tissue subassembly including a plurality of valve leaflets and a seal member relative to an expandable anchor member such that the plurality of valve leaflets is disposed within a lumen of the expandable anchor member and the seal member is disposed at least partially along an outer surface of the expandable anchor member, the expandable anchor member forming a plurality of filament intersections distributed around a circumference of the expandable anchor member;

attaching the tissue subassembly to the expandable anchor member, wherein one or more whip sutures attach a distal end of the seal member to a distal end of the plurality of valve leaflets at a joint, and one or more distal lashing sutures attach the seal member to the expandable anchor member distal of a distalmost filament intersection; and

attaching a proximal portion of the seal member to a distal portion of the expandable anchor member proximal of the distalmost filament intersection, wherein a plurality of proximal lashing sutures attach the seal member at non-consecutive filament intersections of the expandable anchor member.

17. The method of manufacturing a replacement heart valve implant of claim 16, wherein the one or more distal lashing sutures and the one or more whip sutures form a suture lattice.

18. The method of manufacturing a replacement heart valve implant of claim 16, wherein the one or more distal lashing sutures attach the one or more whip sutures to a distal end of the expandable anchor member.

19. The method of manufacturing a replacement heart valve implant of claim 18, wherein the one or more distal lashing sutures is interwoven with the one or more whip sutures.

20. The method of manufacturing a replacement heart valve implant of claim 16, wherein the joint is disposed distally of a distal end of the expandable anchor member.