Heart valve prosthesis and suturing assembly and method of implanting a heart valve prosthesis in a heart
First Claim
1. A heart valve prosthesis and suturing means adapted to be attached to heart tissue and support the heart valve prosthesis in the heart comprising:
- an annular base having a passage for carrying blood, said base having a cylindrical outside wall, an outside threaded section and an outside shoulder between the outside wall and the outside threaded section, valving means movable relative to the base to a first position to allow blood to flow in one direction through the passage and to a second position to restrict the flow of blood through the passage in the direction opposite the one direction, means retaining the valving means in operative movable relation with the base, suturing means attachable to heart tissue, said suturing means including a sleeve having a cylindrical inside wall, an inside threaded section and an inside shoulder between the inside wall and inside threaded section, said inside and outside walls, threaded sections and shoulders engaging each other when the base is mounted on the sleeve, said sleeve having an outside annular channel, a suturing collar located in the channel adapted to be secured to heart tissue, and releasable lock means mounted on the sleeve and engageable with the base to fix the position of the base on the sleeve, said lock means having a lock position to fix the location of the base on the sleeve and a release position allowing the heart valve prosthesis to be mounted on and removed from the suturing means after the suturing means is attached to the heart tissue.
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Abstract
A heart valve prosthesis removably mounted on a suturing assembly. The suturing assembly has an annular sleeve carrying a fabric collar. Sutures secure the collar to heart tissue. The heart valve has a base that is removably mounted on the annular sleeve. The suturing assembly is initially secured to the heart tissue. The heart valve base is then attached to the sleeve and locked in place. If a replacement valve is necessary, the heart valve prosthesis is removed from the sleeve without detaching the suturing assembly from the heart tissue. A new heart valve prosthesis is then mounted on the suturing assembly.
335 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A heart valve prosthesis and suturing means adapted to be attached to heart tissue and support the heart valve prosthesis in the heart comprising:
- an annular base having a passage for carrying blood, said base having a cylindrical outside wall, an outside threaded section and an outside shoulder between the outside wall and the outside threaded section, valving means movable relative to the base to a first position to allow blood to flow in one direction through the passage and to a second position to restrict the flow of blood through the passage in the direction opposite the one direction, means retaining the valving means in operative movable relation with the base, suturing means attachable to heart tissue, said suturing means including a sleeve having a cylindrical inside wall, an inside threaded section and an inside shoulder between the inside wall and inside threaded section, said inside and outside walls, threaded sections and shoulders engaging each other when the base is mounted on the sleeve, said sleeve having an outside annular channel, a suturing collar located in the channel adapted to be secured to heart tissue, and releasable lock means mounted on the sleeve and engageable with the base to fix the position of the base on the sleeve, said lock means having a lock position to fix the location of the base on the sleeve and a release position allowing the heart valve prosthesis to be mounted on and removed from the suturing means after the suturing means is attached to the heart tissue.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. Means for supporting a heart valve prosthesis in a heart, said heart valve having a base, said base having a passage for carrying blood, valving means for controlling one-way flow of blood through the passage, and means retaining the valving means in moving operative relation with the base comprising:
- first means attachable to heart tissue, second means associated with the first means and a base to releasably support the base on the first means whereby the heart valve prosthesis can be mounted on and removed from the first means after the first means is attached to the heart tissue, and lock means mounted on the first means, said lock means movable to a release position to allow the heart valve prosthesis to be removed from and mounted on the first means and movable to a lock position to hold the heart valve prosthesis in a fixed position relative to the first means.
- View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A suturing assembly attachable to heart tissue for releasably holding a heart valve prosthesis, comprising:
- an annular member having means for releasably holding the heart valve prosthesis cover means surrounding the annular member, means holding the cover means on the annular member and lock means movably mounted on the annular member locatable in a release position to allow the heart valve prosthesis to be mounted on and removed from the annular member and locatable in a lock position to hold the heart valve prosthesis in a fixed position relative to the annular member.
- View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of implanting a heart valve prosthesis and suturing assembly in a heart, said prosthesis having a base and said suturing assembly having a sleeve accommodating the base, coacting means on the base and sleeve to mount the base on the sleeve, and releasable lock structure movable to a lock position to hold the base on the sleeve and movable to a release position to allow the base to be mounted on the sleeve, comprising:
- exposing the heart, opening the exposed heart, removing the defective natural heart valve, placing the suturing assembly in the opening formed by the removed natural heart valve, attaching the suturing assembly to the heart tissue with the lock structure located in the release position, attaching the heart valve prosthesis to the suturing assembly by positioning the base in assembled relation with the sleeve, moving the lock structure to the lock position to fix the position of the base on the sleeve, and closing the heart.
- View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A method of replacing a first heart valve prosthesis located in a heart with a second heart valve prosthesis in a suturing assembly attached to heart tissue without removing the suturing assembly from the heart tissue, each prosthesis having a base, said suturing assembly having a sleeve accommodating each base, coacting means on each base and the sleeve to mount each base on the sleeve, and releasable lock structure movable to a lock position to hold each base on the sleeve and movable to a release position to allow each base to be mounted on and removed from the sleeve, comprising:
- exposing the heart, opening the exposed heart, moving the lock structure to the release position, removing the first heart valve prosthesis from the suturing assembly without separating the suturing assembly from the heart tissue, mounting the second heart valve prosthesis on the suturing assembly by positioning the base of the second heart valve prosthesis in assembled relation with the sleeve, moving the lock structure to the lock position to fix the position of the base of the second heart valve prosthesis on the sleeve, and closing the heart.
- View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. A heart valve prosthesis and suturing means adapted to be attached to heart tissue and support the heart valve prosthesis in the heart comprising:
- a heart valve prosthesis having an annular base having an inside wall forming a passage for carrying blood and an outside wall, valving means movable relative to the base to a first position to allow blood to flow in one direction through the passage and movable to a second position to restrict the flow of blood through the passage in the direction opposite the one direction, means retaining the valving means in operative movable relation to the base, suturing means attachable to heart tissue, said suturing means including a sleeve having an inside wall and means surrounding the sleeve attachable to heart tissue, coacting means on the outside wall of the base and the inside wall of the sleeve to releasably mount the base on the sleeve whereby the heart valve prosthesis can be mounted on and removed from the suturing means after the suturing means is attached to the heart tissue, and releasable lock means cooperating with the sleeve and the base to hold the base on the sleeve, said lock having a lock position to fix the location of the base on the sleeve and a release position allowing the base to be mounted on and removed from the sleeve.
- View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
Specification