PROSTHETIC HEART VALVE

• US 3,689,942 A
• Filed: 09/15/1970
• Issued: 09/12/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richard K. Rapp, 1251 Imperial Dr.
• Original Assignee: Richard K. Rapp, 1251 Imperial Dr.
• Inventors: Richard K. Rapp, 1251 Imperial Dr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Richard A. Gaudet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ronald L. Frinks
• Application Number:
  US05/072,449
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 3/1,DIG.3 137/527,527.4,527.8,512.1
• US Class Current: 623/2.21
• 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 2/246 Devices for obstructing a leak through a native valve in a closed condition
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/035 with a plurality of valve members
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7839 Dividing and recombining in a single flow path
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7898 Pivoted valves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7903 Weight biased

Abstract

A prosthetic heart valve consisting of a cylindrical housing having a substantially rectangular opening therein and a plurality of triangular flaps pivotally secured to the housing within the opening. The flaps are adapted to pivot open in response to the flow of blood from the heart and pivot to a sealing position, in abutment to a sealing ball which controls the position of the flaps, in response to the back flow of the blood, thereby providing uni-directional flow.

Claims

1. A prosthetic heart valve comprising:

an elongated housing having top and bottom end surfaces and being provided with a rectangular opening therein intermediate said end surfaces;

a sealing means secured within said housing and located generally axially of said opening; and

a plurality of substantially triangular flaps, pivotally secured to the inner surface of said housing within said rectangular opening, said flaps being substantIally rigid and sized to at least substantially seal said opening and adapted to open in response to the flow of blood from the heart and close in response to the back flow of blood towards the heart, an apex of said flaps abutting said sealing means when said flaps are in their closed position.

2. A prosthetic heart valve in accordance with claim 1, wherein said housing has an impervious inner surface.

3. A prosthetic heart valve in accordance with claim 2, wherein said housing has a porous outer surface.

4. A prosthetic heart valve in accordance with claim 1, wherein said flaps have a depression along one of their apexes, said depression being complementary to the sealing means for abutment therewith when said flaps are in their closed position.

5. A prosthetic heart valve in accordance with claim 1, wherein said sealing means comprises:

a ball disposed centrally of the opening within said housing; and

support members secured between said ball and said housing for rigidly retaining said ball in position.

6. A prosthetic heart valve in accordance with claim 5, wherein said ball has a substantially eliptical configuration.

7. A prosthetic heart valve in accordance with claim 1, wherein said flaps have a compound curvature.

8. A prosthetic heart valve in accordance with claim 7, wherein said flaps have a sinusoidal configuration.

9. A prosthetic heart valve in accordance with claim 1, wherein said flaps have a convex upper and lower surface tapering towards their free apexes.

10. A prosthetic heart valve in accordance with claim 9, wherein said flaps are tapered towards their free apex and towards the two sides forming said apex.

11. A prosthetic heart valve in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of support pins, said pins having a substantially Y-configuration, one end pivotally secured to a corner of one flap, another end pivotally secured to a corner of an adjacent flap and the leg fixedly secured to the housing, whereby said flaps are pivotally secured to said housing by said support pins.

12. A prosthetic heart valve in accordance with claim 2, wherein said impervious inner surface slopes inwardly to form the rectangular opening.

13. A prosthetic heart valve in accordance with claim 1, wherein said housing is annular and has a substantially C-shaped exterior configuration.

14. A prosthetic heart valve in accordance with claim 13, further comprising:

a layer of polyethylene terephthalate disposed within the concave portions of said housing forming said C-shaped exterior configuration.

15. A prosthetic heart valve in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a flap guide disposed upon said flap and adapted to coact with said sealing means, whereby said flaps are guided into complementary juxtaposition to each other and in abutment to each other and in abutment to said sealing means.

16. A uni-directional prosthetic valve comprising:

an elongated housing having top and bottom end surfaces and being provided with a rectangular opening therein intermediate said end surfaces;

a sealing means secured within said housing adjacent to and centrally of the rectangular opening;

a plurality of triangular flaps pivotally secured to the inner surface of said housing and within said rectangular opening, said flaps being substantially rigid and sized to at least substantially seal said opening and adapted to open away from said sealing means in response to a flow of fluid in one direction and to close in abutment to said sealing means thereby sealing the rectangular opening in response to flow in a contra direction.

17. A uni-directional prosthetic valve in accordance with claim 16, wherein said flaps have a depression along an apex, each depression complementary conforming to the shape of said sealing means, whereby said sealing means rests partially within said complementary depression when said flaps are in abutment thereto.