PROSTHETIC CARDIAC VALVE

• US 3,736,598 A
• Filed: 06/10/1971
• Issued: 06/05/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brian John Bellhouse, Francis Hewitt Bellhouse
• Original Assignee: Brian John Bellhouse, Francis Hewitt Bellhouse
• Inventors: Bellhouse, Francis Hewitt, Bellhouse, Brian John
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaudet, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frinks, Ronald L.
• Application Number:
  US05/151,740
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 3/1,DIG.3 137/525,525.1
• US Class Current: 623/2.18
• 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: Y10T 137/7885 Multiple slit

Abstract

A prosthetic aortic or pulmonary valve for permanent cardiac implantation into the natural valve root having a framework which is made from sheet woven of knitted textile fabric material and which consists of an annular ring with three equiangularly spaced projecting legs which extend substantially parallel to one another in the axial direction from the ring. Each leg is folded about its longitudinal center line so that the side edges of the legs form radially outwardly projecting flanges, the adjacent flanges of adjacent legs merging through curves into the portion of the ring lying between those two legs whereby a substantially U-shaped continuous outwardly projecting flange is formed between each pair of the three pairs of adjacent legs. The framework supports three separate cusps made of thin flexible impermeable sheet material, each cusp having a substantially U-shaped edge which overlies one of the substantially U-shaped flanges and is bonded to it, and a free edge which extends between the free ends of the corresponding pair of legs and has a length substantially equivalent to one third of the internal diameter of the framework ring.

Claims

1. A prosthetic cardiac arterial valve for permanent cardiac implantation into the natural valve root, said valve having a framework made from sheet textile fabric material and consisting of an annular ring with three equiangularly spaced projecting legs which extend substantially parallel to one another in the axial direction from said ring, each leg being folded about a longitudinal center line so that side edges of said legs form radially outwardly projecting flanges, the adjacent flanges of adjacent legs merging through curves into the portion of said ring lying therebetween whereby a substantially U-shaped continuous outwardly projecting flange is formed between each pair of the three pairs of said adjacent legs;

said framework supporting three separate cusps made of thin flexible impermeable sheet material, each cusp having a substantially U-shaped edge which overlies one of said substantially U-shaped flanges and is bonded thereto, and a free edge which extends between the free ends of the correSponding pair of said legs and has a length substantially equivalent to one third of the internal circumference of said framework ring.

2. A valve according to claim 1, wherein said fabric from which said framework is formed is a fine uncut terylene velour.

3. A valve according to claim 2, wherein said velour is coated with silicone rubber.

4. A valve according to claim 1, wherein said legs and said ring of said framework are cut as an integral piece from said fabric.

5. A valve according to claim 1, wherein each cusp is made from a fine terylene fabric coated with silicone rubber.

6. A valve according to claim 5, in which said terylene fabric is a ten denier warp knitted fabric.