Low turbulence heart valve
First Claim
1. A prosthetic heart valve comprisingan annular valve body having an internal surface that defines an interior passageway for the flow of blood therethrough, the exterior of which body facilitates attachment of a device to mount the prosthetic valve in a mammalian heart,occluder means for permitting the flow of blood in a downstream direction through said passageway while preventing substantial backflow of blood in an upstream direction,pivot means mounting said occluder means within said interior passageway of said valve body so as to pivot to and from positions allowing blood flow in a downstream direction and blocking blood flow in an upstream direction,said occluder means having inflow and outflow major surfaces which face in opposite directions, the edges of which major surfaces terminate at a peripheral surface which resides generally adjacent said valve body internal surface when said occluder means is in the blocking position, said inflow major surface facing upstream and said outflow major surface facing downstream in said blocking position,said outflow surface having a generally flat portion located in the region of said pivot means and having a convex portion in a region downstream of said flat portion,said inflow surface having a concave region which is joined smoothly to a convex region located downstream thereof,said peripheral surface in the region contiguous to said inflow concave and convex surface regions being of substantially constant thickness while said occluder means varies significantly in thickness in the vicinities of said concave and convex surface regions, andsaid convex inflow surface region being defined by curved surfaces that extend smoothly in generally laterally opposite directions from a central ridge to said peripheral surface, said central ridge being located along a central plane that bisects said occluder means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A heart valve having a pair of leaflets of identical construction provides low pressure drop and freedom from thrombosis and hemolysis. The leaflets have flat sections wherein a pivot mechanism is incorporated and curved sections which are located downstream of the flat sections. The outflow or facing surface of each of the two leaflets is of two-dimensional, convex curvature whereas the opposite or inflow surface regions are of a composite concave-convex curvature on both sides of a central ridge which bisects the curved inflow surface section of each leaflet. The curvature of the downstream regions of each leaflet is fashioned so that a peripheral surface, which extends about the arcuate downstream edge of each leaflet, is of a substantially constant and relatively minimal thickness. As a result, not only is there extremely low boundary layer separation in the blood flowing along the surfaces of the leaflet but there is extremely low turbulence in the bloodstream just past the trailing edge which minimizes hemolysis at this point.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A prosthetic heart valve comprising
an annular valve body having an internal surface that defines an interior passageway for the flow of blood therethrough, the exterior of which body facilitates attachment of a device to mount the prosthetic valve in a mammalian heart, occluder means for permitting the flow of blood in a downstream direction through said passageway while preventing substantial backflow of blood in an upstream direction, pivot means mounting said occluder means within said interior passageway of said valve body so as to pivot to and from positions allowing blood flow in a downstream direction and blocking blood flow in an upstream direction, said occluder means having inflow and outflow major surfaces which face in opposite directions, the edges of which major surfaces terminate at a peripheral surface which resides generally adjacent said valve body internal surface when said occluder means is in the blocking position, said inflow major surface facing upstream and said outflow major surface facing downstream in said blocking position, said outflow surface having a generally flat portion located in the region of said pivot means and having a convex portion in a region downstream of said flat portion, said inflow surface having a concave region which is joined smoothly to a convex region located downstream thereof, said peripheral surface in the region contiguous to said inflow concave and convex surface regions being of substantially constant thickness while said occluder means varies significantly in thickness in the vicinities of said concave and convex surface regions, and said convex inflow surface region being defined by curved surfaces that extend smoothly in generally laterally opposite directions from a central ridge to said peripheral surface, said central ridge being located along a central plane that bisects said occluder means.
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13. A prosthetic heart valve comprising an annular valve body having an internal surface that defines an interior passageway for the flow of blood therethrough,
occluder means for permitting the flow of blood in a downstream direction through said passageway while preventing substantial backflow of blood in an upstream direction, pivot means mounting said occluder means within said interior passageway of said valve body so as to pivot to and from positions allowing blood flow in a downstream direction and blocking blood flow in an upstream direction, said occluder means having inflow and outflow major surfaces which face in opposite directions, the edges of which major surfaces terminate at a peripheral surface which resides generally adjacent said valve body internal surface when said occluder means is in the blocking position, said inflow major surface facing upstream and said outflow major surface facing downstream in said blocking position, said outflow surface having a generally flat portion located in the region of said pivot means and having a convex portion in a region downstream of said flat portion, said inflow surface having a concave region which is joined smoothly to a convex region located downstream thereof, and said convex inflow surface region extends from a central ridge that bisects said occluder means to said peripheral surface and is defined by a plurality of substantially straight lines which lie in planes perpendicular to said central plane, which straight lines slope downward from said central ridge.
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20. A prosthetic heart valve comprising an annular valve body having an internal surface that defines an interior passageway for the flow of blood therethrough, a pair of substantially identical occluders for permitting the flow of blood in a downstream direction through said passageway while preventing substantial backflow of blood in an upstream direction,
pivot means mounting said occluders within said interior passageway of said valve body so as to pivot to and from positions allowing blood flow in a downstream direction and blocking blood flow in an upstream direction, each said occluder having inflow and outflow major surfaces which face in opposite directions, the edges of which major surfaces terminate at a peripheral surface which resides generally adjacent said valve body internal surface when said occluders are in the(blocking position, said inflow major surface facing upstream and said outflow major surface facing downstream in said blocking position, both said major surfaces having a generally flat portion located in the region of said pivot means which flat portions are substantially parallel to each other, said outflow surface having a convex portion in a region downstream of said flat portion, said inflow surface having a concave region downstream of said flat portion which region is joined smoothly to a convex region located downstream thereof, said convex and concave inflow surface regions extending from a central ridge that bisects said occluder means to said peripheral surface and being defined by a plurality of substantially straight lines which lie in planes perpendicular to said central plane, which straight lines slope downward from said central ridge.
Specification