Suture rings for heart valves and method of securing suture rings to heart valves
First Claim
1. An assembly comprising a mechanical heart valve and a suture ring,the heart valve having a generally cylindrical outer surface, andthe suture ring comprisinga stiffening ring having an inner surface adapted to fit adjacent said outer surface of said heart valve,a sewing cuff connected to said stiffening ring,means disposed between said cylindrical surface and said stiffening ring for locking said heart valve in said stiffening ring, said locking means having a circumferential dimension and a radial thickness and comprising means for changing said circumferential dimension and means for changing said radial thickness,means on said outer cylindrical surface of said heart valve for engaging said locking means andmeans on said inner surface of said stiffening ring for engaging said locking means,whereby said heart valve can be locked in said stiffening ring.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A suture ring for a mechanical heart valve comprised of essentially three parts: a stiffening ring which fits over an outer surface of the heart valve; a knit fabric sewing cuff attached to the stiffening ring, and a locking ring for securing the stiffening ring to the heart valve. The preferred embodiment comprises a locking ring which is generally crescent-shaped in cross-section and has a split ring configuration. Radial expansion or contraction is a first mode of deformation for the locking ring. The stiffening ring and the valve body can be locked together because the locking ring is capable of deforming in a second mode with respect to thickness of the ring. In the case of the preferred embodiment, the locking ring deforms by a slight flattening of the cresent cross-section of the ring.
162 Citations
55 Claims
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1. An assembly comprising a mechanical heart valve and a suture ring,
the heart valve having a generally cylindrical outer surface, and the suture ring comprising a stiffening ring having an inner surface adapted to fit adjacent said outer surface of said heart valve, a sewing cuff connected to said stiffening ring, means disposed between said cylindrical surface and said stiffening ring for locking said heart valve in said stiffening ring, said locking means having a circumferential dimension and a radial thickness and comprising means for changing said circumferential dimension and means for changing said radial thickness, means on said outer cylindrical surface of said heart valve for engaging said locking means and means on said inner surface of said stiffening ring for engaging said locking means, whereby said heart valve can be locked in said stiffening ring.
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29. A suture ring for use with a mechanical heart valve, the suture ring comprising,
a stiffening ring having an inner surface adapted to fit adjacent an outer surface of a heart valve, a sewing cuff connected to said stiffening ring, means adapted to be placed between said outer surface and said stiffening ring for locking said heart valve in said stiffening ring, said locking means having a circumferential dimension and a radial thickness and comprising means for changing said circumferential dimension and means for changing said radial thickness, and means on said inner surface of said stiffening ring for engaging said locking means.
Specification