Rotatable suturing ring for prosthetic heart valve
First Claim
1. An implantable heart valve having at least one valve mechanism movable between an open position and a closed position, a valve body for supporting the valve mechanism having a circular exterior wall extending between inflow and outflow valve body rims and an interior valve opening annulus, and an exterior rotatable suturing ring formed of suturing ring fabric for suturing the heart valve to a natural heart tissue orifice, apparatus for securing the suturing ring for rotation about the valve body exterior wall upon application of a rotational torque comprising:
- rotational guide means formed on the annular exterior wall of the heart valve body providing a rotational guide about which the suturing ring is rotatable; and
means formed within the suturing ring for compressing an annular section of the suturing ring fabric into engagement against the rotational guide with a consistent force, the compressing means further comprising;
a split ring formed of ring-shaped band having opposed split ring ends, an interior wall having a major diameter and a tracking surface shaped to be engaged by and spaced apart from the rotational guide and to provide a continuous gap when the split ring ends are maintained in contact for receiving the annular section of the sewing ring fabric therebetween, the ring shaped band being formed of a resilient material and adapted to be expanded in diameter to separate the split ring ends and to allow the split ring band tracking surface to be aligned with the rotational guide; and
contact maintaining means for maintaining the split ring ends in contact such that a continuous gap is maintained between the rotational guide and the tracking surface, whereby the suturing ring fabric is entrapped in the continuous gap and frictionally engages the opposed tracking surface and rotational guide providing a consistent frictional force that may be overcome by a consistent rotational torque applied between the valve body and the suturing ring for rotation thereof.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An implantable prosthetic heart valve with a suturing ring having an interiorly disposed split ring of constant diameter for securing the suturing ring fabric to the heart valve body and providing a constant rotational torque for facilitating rotation of the heart valve body with respect to the suturing ring. The split ring is formed of a stiff band having opposed split ring ends that are drawn together and held in place by fixation cords. The split ring may include flanges extending in the inflow and/or outflow directions to inhibit passage of suture needles through inflow and/or outflow rim bands of the suturing ring fabric to encourage proper surgical installation. The flanges may be extended in the inflow and/or outflow directions sufficiently to increase blood flow velocity past the inflow and/or outflow rim bands and discourage pannus growth over the interface of the respective rim bands and valve body flanges and into the valve body annulus and to provide added safety by forming a barrier against impingement of the occluder by suture tails and heart tissue.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. An implantable heart valve having at least one valve mechanism movable between an open position and a closed position, a valve body for supporting the valve mechanism having a circular exterior wall extending between inflow and outflow valve body rims and an interior valve opening annulus, and an exterior rotatable suturing ring formed of suturing ring fabric for suturing the heart valve to a natural heart tissue orifice, apparatus for securing the suturing ring for rotation about the valve body exterior wall upon application of a rotational torque comprising:
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rotational guide means formed on the annular exterior wall of the heart valve body providing a rotational guide about which the suturing ring is rotatable; and means formed within the suturing ring for compressing an annular section of the suturing ring fabric into engagement against the rotational guide with a consistent force, the compressing means further comprising; a split ring formed of ring-shaped band having opposed split ring ends, an interior wall having a major diameter and a tracking surface shaped to be engaged by and spaced apart from the rotational guide and to provide a continuous gap when the split ring ends are maintained in contact for receiving the annular section of the sewing ring fabric therebetween, the ring shaped band being formed of a resilient material and adapted to be expanded in diameter to separate the split ring ends and to allow the split ring band tracking surface to be aligned with the rotational guide; and contact maintaining means for maintaining the split ring ends in contact such that a continuous gap is maintained between the rotational guide and the tracking surface, whereby the suturing ring fabric is entrapped in the continuous gap and frictionally engages the opposed tracking surface and rotational guide providing a consistent frictional force that may be overcome by a consistent rotational torque applied between the valve body and the suturing ring for rotation thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An implantable heart valve having at least one valve mechanism movable between an open position and a closed position, a valve body for supporting the valve mechanism, and an exterior rotatable suturing ring for suturing to a natural heart tissue orifice and allowing rotation of the valve body with respect to the suturing ring, the valve body having an annular exterior wall having a groove formed therein between outflow and inflow flanges having flange diameters exceeding a diameter of the groove for receiving the suturing ring disposed circumferentially around the groove, the suturing ring further comprising:
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a biocompatible fabric of a mesh weave having interstices permeable to tissue ingrowth and first and second axial ends fastened into a generally toroidal shaped fabric ring having an interior directed surface adapted to be fitted against the valve body groove and an outward directed surface adapted to receive sutures for implantation of the valve in a prepared site in the heart; and means disposed entirely within interior of the fabric ring for fitting the interior directed surface of the fabric ring against the valve body groove leaving the outward directed surface exposed and defining an outflow annular rim surface adjacent the outflow flange of the valve body and an inflow annular rim surface adjacent the inflow flange of the valve body, the fitting means further comprising; a split ring formed of ring-shaped band having opposed split ring ends adapted to be separated apart to allow the split ring to be fitted within the valve body groove and abutted together to form a continuous circular band having a fixed inner diameter greater than the groove diameter and less than the inflow and outflow flange diameters; and contact maintaining means for maintaining the split ring ends in abutting contact such that a fixed gap is maintained between the split ring and the valve body groove, whereby the interior directed surface of the suturing ring fabric is entrapped in the fixed gap and frictionally engages the split ring and valve body groove providing a constant frictional force that may be overcome by rotational torque applied between the valve body and the suturing ring for rotation thereof. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An implantable heart valve having at least one valve mechanism movable between an open position and a closed position, a valve body for supporting the valve mechanism having an exterior wall extending between inflow and outflow valve rims and an interior valve opening annulus, and an exterior rotatable suturing ring formed of suturing ring fabric for suturing the heart valve to a natural heart tissue orifice, apparatus for securing the suturing ring for rotation about the valve body exterior wall upon application of a rotational torque comprising:
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rotational guide means formed on the annular exterior wall of the heart valve body providing a rotational guide about which the suturing ring is rotatable; split ring means formed within the suturing ring for supporting said suturing ring in a generally toroidal shaped fabric ring, said fabric having an annular section adapted to be fitted against the valve body rotational guide means and an outward directed surface adapted to receive sutures for implantation of the valve in a prepared site in the heart and defining an outflow annular rim fabric surface adjacent the outflow rim of the valve body and an inflow annular rim fabric surface adjacent the inflow rim of the valve body, said split ring means compressing said annular section of the suturing ring fabric into engagement against the rotational guide with a consistent force; and means for maintaining said split ring means with a constant diameter. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification