Suture guard for prosthetic heart valve
First Claim
1. A heart valve prosthesis, comprising:
- an orifice housing having an exterior circumference and providing a lumen therethrough;
an occluder movable in the orifice housing between an open position allowing flow through the lumen and a closed position in which flow through the lumen is blocked;
a suture cuff extending around the exterior circumference and coupled to the orifice housing, the suture cuff adapted for receiving an attachment mechanism therethrough for attaching the prosthesis to a heart tissue annulus, wherein the cuff provides an attachment surface for carrying the attachment mechanism thereon; and
a guard integral with the heart valve prosthesis which includes a plurality of elongated fingers attached to the cuff, the fingers bendable between an open position in which the attachment surface is exposed and a closed position covering the attachment surface.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A heart valve prosthesis for use in a heart includes an orifice defining a lumen therethrough for blood flow. An occluder is carried in the orifice and is movable between an open position which allows blood flow through the lumen and a closed position in which flow through the lumen is blocked. A suture cuff coupled to the orifice extends around an outer circumference of the orifice and is used for attaching the heart valve to a heart tissue annulus using sutures. The sutures are knotted proximate the suture cuff to secure the cuff to the annulus. A suture guard is coupled to the suture cuff and is movable between an open position in which the suture knot is exposed and a closed position in which the suture, suture knot and suture cuff are covered.
76 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A heart valve prosthesis, comprising:
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an orifice housing having an exterior circumference and providing a lumen therethrough; an occluder movable in the orifice housing between an open position allowing flow through the lumen and a closed position in which flow through the lumen is blocked; a suture cuff extending around the exterior circumference and coupled to the orifice housing, the suture cuff adapted for receiving an attachment mechanism therethrough for attaching the prosthesis to a heart tissue annulus, wherein the cuff provides an attachment surface for carrying the attachment mechanism thereon; and a guard integral with the heart valve prosthesis which includes a plurality of elongated fingers attached to the cuff, the fingers bendable between an open position in which the attachment surface is exposed and a closed position covering the attachment surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of implanting a heart valve prosthesis in a heart tissue annulus of a patient'"'"'s heart, comprising:
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attaching a suture cuff of the prosthesis to the tissue annulus with a suture; placing the prosthesis in the tissue annulus; forming a knot in the suture on a knot surface of the suture cuff; and bending an attached suture guard from an open position in which the guard extends in a direction substantially parallel with an axis of the valve to a closed position in which the guard extends in a substantially radial direction and thereby covering the knot with the suture guard. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification