Mechanical prosthetic valve with coupled leaflets
First Claim
1. A valve for human implantation, said valve comprising:
- a tubular base portion defining a blood flow pathway therethrough;
a pair of rigid valve leaflets pivotally disposed on an inner surface of said base portion in said blood flow pathway and responsive to blood fluid pressure to pivot between a first position of occluding cooperation both with each other and with said base portion to inhibit blood flow in said pathway, and a second fully open pivotal position opening blood flow in said pathway, wherein a third position is defined substantially intermediate the first and second positions; and
a first means carried on one leaflet for cooperating with a second means carried on the other leaflet to couple the movement of the leaflets between the first and second positions and bias the leaflets toward the third position from both the first and second positions.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A prosthetic mechanical valve includes a base portion defining a through blood flow pathway closed by at least a pair of valve leaflets. The valve leaflets are pivotally carried by the base portion and movable in response to dynamic blood fluid pressures between a first position at which the leaflets close blood flow through the pathway and a second open position allowing blood flow in the pathway. A pair of confronting magnets are carried one to each of the pair of valve leaflets and attract one another. The magnetic forces of attraction between the pair of magnets imparts a biasing torque to the valve leaflets which tends to synchronize pivotal movements of the leaflets, cushions their sealing contact, quiets valve operation, and biases the leaflets toward a third partially open position. As a result, under conditions of nearly balanced blood fluid pressures across the pair of valve leaflet they anticipatorily open toward their third position to improve pumping effectiveness. Also, at about the end of a blood pumping stroke, the valve leaflets anticipatorily close from their fully open position toward the third position to reduce regurgitation flow and quiet the valve.
198 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A valve for human implantation, said valve comprising:
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a tubular base portion defining a blood flow pathway therethrough; a pair of rigid valve leaflets pivotally disposed on an inner surface of said base portion in said blood flow pathway and responsive to blood fluid pressure to pivot between a first position of occluding cooperation both with each other and with said base portion to inhibit blood flow in said pathway, and a second fully open pivotal position opening blood flow in said pathway, wherein a third position is defined substantially intermediate the first and second positions; and a first means carried on one leaflet for cooperating with a second means carried on the other leaflet to couple the movement of the leaflets between the first and second positions and bias the leaflets toward the third position from both the first and second positions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A valve for human implantation, said valve comprising:
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a tubular base portion of non-magnetic material defining a blood flow pathway therethrough; a pair of rigid valve leaflets of non-magnetic material pivotally disposed on an inner surface of said base portion in said blood flow pathway and responsive to blood fluid pressure to pivot between a first position of occluding cooperation both with each other and with said base portion to inhibit blood flow in said pathway, and a second fully open pivotal position opening blood flow in said pathway; and a first magnet carried on one leaflet for cooperating with a second magnet carried on the other leaflet to couple the movement of the leaflets between the first and second positions. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification