Bi-leaflet heart valve prosthesis
First Claim
1. A heart valve prosthesis, comprising a base having an annular body that has a central axis, an upstream annular edge portion and a downstream annular edge portion, and diametrically opposite chordal segments integrally joined to the annular body that have generally flat surfaces that are parallel to one another and the central axis, the flat surfaces being axially intermediate the body edge portions, each chordal segment having an upstream conical surface part that intersects the upstream edge portion and is tapered toward the other chordal segment in a direction axially toward the downstream annular edge portion to intersect the flat surface and a downstream conical surface part to intersect the downstream edge portion and the flat surface, first and second leaflets mounted for movement between valve open and closed positions, the leaflets and the chordal segments having cooperating means for mounting the leaflets for pivotal movement about parallel axes between the leaflet positions, and stop means on the chordal segments for limiting the pivotal movement of the leaflets from their closed position to their open position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The heart valve prosthesis has a generally annular base that has an annular body and diametrically opposite chordal segments having generally parallel flat surfaces. Each chordal segment has a pair of spherical recesses opening through the flat surface, the spherical recesses having ears of a pair of leaflets pivotally extending therein for movement between valve open and closed positions. For improving blood flow characteristics, each chordal segment has an upstream conical surface that is tapered generally radially inwardly in a downstream direction and a downstream conical surface that is tapered generally radially inwardly in an upstream direction. The conical surfaces intersect the flat surfaces. The leaflets have adjacent generally flat edges and arcuately curved edges that have parts remote from the leaflet pivot axes abuttable against the generally constant diameter wall portions of the annular body for limiting movement of the leaflets in a closing direction and stop members on the chordal segments to limit the movement of the leaflets in an opening direction.
82 Citations
14 Claims
- 1. A heart valve prosthesis, comprising a base having an annular body that has a central axis, an upstream annular edge portion and a downstream annular edge portion, and diametrically opposite chordal segments integrally joined to the annular body that have generally flat surfaces that are parallel to one another and the central axis, the flat surfaces being axially intermediate the body edge portions, each chordal segment having an upstream conical surface part that intersects the upstream edge portion and is tapered toward the other chordal segment in a direction axially toward the downstream annular edge portion to intersect the flat surface and a downstream conical surface part to intersect the downstream edge portion and the flat surface, first and second leaflets mounted for movement between valve open and closed positions, the leaflets and the chordal segments having cooperating means for mounting the leaflets for pivotal movement about parallel axes between the leaflet positions, and stop means on the chordal segments for limiting the pivotal movement of the leaflets from their closed position to their open position.
- 9. A heart valve prosthesis, comprising a base having an annular body that has a central axis, an upstream annular edge portion and a downstream annular edge portion, each body edge portion having a terminal edge part that is annular and substantially parallel to the other body edge portion, and diametrically opposite chordal segments integrally joined to the annular body, each chordal segment having a generally flat surface portion that is parallel to the other and the central axis, the flat surfaces being axially intermediate the body edge portions annular parts, first and second leaflets mounted for movement between valve open and closed positions, the leaflets and the chordal segments having cooperating means for mounting the leaflets for pivotal movement about parallel pivot axes between the leaflet positions, the cooperating means including transversely spaced chordal segment spherical recessed portions axially between the upstream and downstream annular edge portions and leaflet ears extending into the adjacent recess portions, the ears having edges that are spherically curved for forming a close pivotal fit with the adjacent recessed portion, and stop means on the chordal segments for limiting the pivotal movement of the leaflets from their closed position to their open position, the stop means being located axially intermediate the downstream annular edge portion and the leaflets when the leaflets are in their closed position, the base being of a substantially constant inner diameter circumferentially between the chordal segments and axially between the upstream and downstream edge portions.
Specification