Method of manufacturing natural tissue valves having variably compliant leaflets
First Claim
1. A process for fixing a natural tissue valve prosthesis having improved hemodynamic characteristics and resistance to calcification, said process comprising:
- (a) obtaining a mammalian natural tissue valve assembly having a circumferential annular margin and one or more valve leaflets pivotally attached to said circumferential annular margin, each of said one or more valve leaflets including a leaflet base section adjacent to said circumferential annular margin and a leaflet tip section disposed radially therefrom;
(b) subjecting each of said leaflet base sections of said one or more valve leaflets to a higher pressure than each of said leaflet tip sections on the same side of the valve leaflet; and
(c) contacting each of said sections of said pressurized natural tissue valve assembly with a fixing agent.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Variably compliant natural tissue valve leaflets and vascular bioprosthetics incorporating variably compliant leaflets are provided along with methods for their manufacture. The variably compliant leaflets are fixed with the leaflet base section under greater pressure than the leaflet tip section rendering them relatively stiff along the leaflet base section and more flexible at the leaflet tip section. The radially variable flexing characteristics of the valve leaflets promote even distribution of mechanical stress on the valve assembly during the cardiac cycle leading to improved hemodynamic performance while retarding the calcification of the leaflet tissue.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A process for fixing a natural tissue valve prosthesis having improved hemodynamic characteristics and resistance to calcification, said process comprising:
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(a) obtaining a mammalian natural tissue valve assembly having a circumferential annular margin and one or more valve leaflets pivotally attached to said circumferential annular margin, each of said one or more valve leaflets including a leaflet base section adjacent to said circumferential annular margin and a leaflet tip section disposed radially therefrom; (b) subjecting each of said leaflet base sections of said one or more valve leaflets to a higher pressure than each of said leaflet tip sections on the same side of the valve leaflet; and (c) contacting each of said sections of said pressurized natural tissue valve assembly with a fixing agent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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9. A process for fixing a natural tissue valve leaflet having improved hemodynamic characteristics and resistance to calcification, said process comprising:
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(a) providing a natural tissue valve leaflet having a leaflet base section and a leaflet tip section disposed adjacent thereto; (b) subjecting said leaflet base section to a higher pressure than said leaflet tip section on the same side of the valve leaflet; and (c) contacting each of said sections of said pressurized natural tissue valve leaflet with a fixing agent. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A process for fixing a natural tissue valve prosthesis having an annular margin and a plurality of leaflets extending generally radially inwardly from the margin, comprising:
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securing the margin from movement; positioning a tubular member concentrically within the margin and in contact with the leaflets on a downstream side thereof so as to bias the leaflets into a closed position, the tubular member being sized smaller than the margin so that a base section of each leaflet is exposed on the downstream side between the margin and tubular member and a tip section of each leaflet is disposed within the tubular member; and subjecting the base section of the leaflets to a higher pressure than the tip section while contacting the natural tissue valve prosthesis with a fixing agent. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification