Tissue heart valves
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A tissue-type heart valve comprising:
- a dimensionally stable, pre-aligned and pre-assembled tissue leaflet subassembly including a plurality of leaflets, wherein each leaflet includes a cusp edge opposite from a coapting edge and two leaflet tabs extending from the junctions between the cusp and coapting edges in generally opposite directions, the pre-alignment of the leaflets in the subassembly creating a plurality of pairs of mating leaflet tabs extending outward from the subassembly, one pair of mating leaflet tabs per adjacent pair of leaflets;
a generally circular wireform having a bottom surface dimensioned to receive said pre-aligned tissue leaflet subassembly in fixed, mating engagement said wireform having lower cusps interrupted by upwardly extending commissures, the cusp edges of the leaflets in the pre-assembled tissue leaflet subassembly being attached along the cusps of the wireform to form a leaflet/wireform subassembly; and
a generally circular support stent having an upper surface dimensioned to seat and fix in mating engagement with said leaflet/wireform subassembly, the support stent having upwardly extending flexible commissure posts to which the pairs of mating leaflet tabs attach.
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Abstract
Improved, adaptable tissue-type heart valves and methods for their manufacture are disclosed wherein a dimensionally stable, pre-aligned tissue leaflet subassembly is formed and its peripheral edge clamped between and attached to an upper shaped wireform and a lower support stent. A variety of adaptable structural interfaces including suture rings, flanges, and conduits may be attached to the support stent with or without an outlet conduit disposed about the wireform to provide a tissue-type heart valve adaptable for use in either a natural heart or in mechanical pumping devices.
461 Citations
47 Claims
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1. A tissue-type heart valve comprising:
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a dimensionally stable, pre-aligned and pre-assembled tissue leaflet subassembly including a plurality of leaflets, wherein each leaflet includes a cusp edge opposite from a coapting edge and two leaflet tabs extending from the junctions between the cusp and coapting edges in generally opposite directions, the pre-alignment of the leaflets in the subassembly creating a plurality of pairs of mating leaflet tabs extending outward from the subassembly, one pair of mating leaflet tabs per adjacent pair of leaflets; a generally circular wireform having a bottom surface dimensioned to receive said pre-aligned tissue leaflet subassembly in fixed, mating engagement said wireform having lower cusps interrupted by upwardly extending commissures, the cusp edges of the leaflets in the pre-assembled tissue leaflet subassembly being attached along the cusps of the wireform to form a leaflet/wireform subassembly; and a generally circular support stent having an upper surface dimensioned to seat and fix in mating engagement with said leaflet/wireform subassembly, the support stent having upwardly extending flexible commissure posts to which the pairs of mating leaflet tabs attach. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16)
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13. A tissue-type heart valve comprising:
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a dimensionally stable, pre-aligned tissue leaflet subassembly formed of a plurality of substantially identical tissue coapting leaflets, each of said leaflets having a generally linear coapting mating edge having opposing ends and a generally arcuate peripheral cusp extending therebetween, said opposing ends of adjacent leaflets having been templated and attached to one another to define a plurality of pairs of aligned, mating, leaflet ends; a generally circular, cloth-covered wireform having top and bottom surfaces and a generally sinusoidal periphery defining a plurality of axially projecting commissures, each of said commissures corresponding to one of said pairs of aligned, mating, leaflet ends, said wireform bottom surface dimensioned to receive and fixedly dispose in mating engagement with said pre-aligned tissue leaflet subassembly; and a generally circular support stent having an upper surface dimensioned to seat and fix in mating engagement with said tissue leaflet subassembly fixedly disposed in mating engagement with said bottom surface of said wireform, the support stent including a generally stiff lower ring portion and a plurality of flexible commissure posts axially projecting up from the ring portion approximately the same height as the commissures of the wireform. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A tissue-type heart valve comprising:
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an annular wireform having a plurality of axially projecting commissures terminating in arcuate tips, the commissures being separated by arcuate cusps having a substantially larger radius of curvature than the tips, the commissures and tips being formed in a sinusoidal configuration with the commissures extending in the opposite axial direction from the cusps so that each commissure is defined by spaced apart portions of the wireform in adjacent cusps joined by one of the tips; a tissue leaflet subassembly attached within the annular wireform and formed by a plurality of substantially identical tissue leaflets, each of the leaflets having a coapting mating edge having opposing ends and a generally arcuate peripheral cusp extending therebetween coupled to one of the wireform cusps, the opposing ends of adjacent leaflets being attached to one another to define a plurality of pairs of mating leaflet ends each of which is associated with and extends between the spaced apart wireform portions of one of the commissures; and a generally cylindrical support stent having on one edge a plurality of alternating cusps and commissures adapted to matingly engage with the attached annular wireform and tissue leaflet subassembly, each stent commissure being associated with and extending substantially the same axial distance as one of the wireform commissures, wherein each pair of mating leaflet ends is separated by and attached around opposite sides of the associated stent commissure. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A tissue-type heart valve comprising:
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an annular wireform having a plurality of axially projecting commissures terminating in arcuate tips, the commissures being separated by arcuate cusps having a substantially larger radius of curvature than the tips, the commissures and tips being formed in a sinusoidal configuration with the commissures extending in the opposite axial direction from the cusps so that each commissure is defined by spaced apart portions of the wireform in adjacent cusps joined by one of the tips; a tissue leaflet subassembly attached within the annular wireform and formed by a plurality of substantially identical tissue leaflets, each of the leaflets having a coapting mating edge having opposing ends and a generally arcuate peripheral cusp extending therebetween coupled to one of the wireform cusps, the opposing ends of adjacent leaflets being attached to one another to define a plurality of pairs of mating leaflet ends each of which is associated with and extends between the spaced apart wireform portions of one of the commissures; and a generally cylindrical support stent having on one edge a plurality of alternating cusps and commissures adapted to matingly engage with the attached annular wireform and tissue leaflet subassembly, each stent commissure being associated with and extending substantially the same axial distance as one of the wireform commissures, wherein each pair of mating leaflet ends is separated and attached around opposite sides of the associated stent commissure, wherein the stent further includes inner and outer support members, with the inner support member exhibiting the cusps and commissures, and the outer support member conforming to the cusps but being truncated in the region of the inner support member commissures so as to provide stiffness to the combined support members except at the inner support member commissures. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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42. A tissue-type heart valve comprising:
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an annular wireform having a plurality of axially projecting commissures terminating in arcuate tips, the commissures being separated by arcuate cusps having a substantially larger radius of curvature than the tips, the commissures and tips being formed in a sinusoidal configuration with the commissures extending in the opposite axial direction from the cusps so that each commissure is defined by spaced apart portions of the wireform in adjacent cusps joined by one of the tips; a tissue leaflet subassembly attached within the annular wireform and formed by a plurality of substantially identical tissue leaflets, each of the leaflets having a coapting mating edge having opposing ends and a generally arcuate peripheral cusp extending therebetween coupled to one of the wireform cusps, the opposing ends of adjacent leaflets being attached to one another to define a plurality of pairs of mating leaflet ends each of which is associated with and extends between the spaced apart wireform portions of one of the commissures; a generally cylindrical support stent having on one edge a plurality of alternating cusps and commissures adapted to matingly engage with the attached annular wireform and tissue leaflet subassembly; and a suture ring fixedly disposed upon a lower end of said valve comprising a suturable annulus having upwardly opening depressions on an internal circumference corresponding in number to the number of cusps of the wireform, wherein the suture ring has a bore sized to receive the stent with the wireform cusps being positioned in the depressions. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification