Bioprosthetic heart valve
First Claim
1. A replacement tissue heart valve, which valve comprisesan annulus having a central passageway,three generally crescent-shaped struts connected generally near the midpoints thereof to said annulus at angularly spaced locations therealong,three separate biocompatible flexible leaflets respectively attached to one of each of said struts in locations so as to converge toward one another to close said passageway and to thereafter diverge therefrom to reopen said passageway, each of said leaflets being supported as a stand-alone unit which moves independently of other said leaflets, andsaid annulus and said struts being covered with biocompatible fabric,wherein said struts are connected by anchor pins to said annulus, which pins pass through a marginal portion of said leaflet that is attached to said crescent-shaped strut.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A trileaflet biological prosthetic heart valve (11, 41) comprising a thin, rigid annular outer frame (25, 43) which supports three elastic, laminated spring inner frames (18, 57) which in turn provide consistent geometric form and structure for attachment of tissue leaflets (15, 71).
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A replacement tissue heart valve, which valve comprises
an annulus having a central passageway, three generally crescent-shaped struts connected generally near the midpoints thereof to said annulus at angularly spaced locations therealong, three separate biocompatible flexible leaflets respectively attached to one of each of said struts in locations so as to converge toward one another to close said passageway and to thereafter diverge therefrom to reopen said passageway, each of said leaflets being supported as a stand-alone unit which moves independently of other said leaflets, and said annulus and said struts being covered with biocompatible fabric, wherein said struts are connected by anchor pins to said annulus, which pins pass through a marginal portion of said leaflet that is attached to said crescent-shaped strut.
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11. A replacement tissue heart valve, which valve comprises
an annulus having a central passageway, three generally crescent-shaped struts connected generally near the midpoints thereof to said annulus at angularly spaced locations therealong, three separate biocompatible flexible leaflets respectively attached to one of each of said struts in locations so as to converge toward one another to close said passageway and to thereafter diverge therefrom to reopen said passageway, each of said leaflets being supported as a stand-alone unit which moves independently of other said leaflets, and said annulus and said struts being covered with biocompatible fabric, wherein each of said crescent-shaped struts is made from a plurality of pieces of biocompatible metal spring material of sheet form, which individual pieces are juxtaposed with one another as a lamination.
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15. A bioprosthetic heart valve, which valve comprises
an annulus having a central passageway, three generally crescent-shaped struts connected generally near the midpoints thereof to said annulus at angularly spaced locations therealong, and three separate biocompatible flexible leaflets respectively attached to one of each of said struts in locations so as to converge toward one another to close said passageway and to thereafter diverge therefrom to reopen said passageway, each of said crescent-shaped struts acting as a self-supporting leaf spring, wherein said crescent-shaped struts include a laminate structure of multiple pieces, each of which is of a different length and wherein said laminated structure has nonlinear spring characteristics which create symmetrical and synchronous leaflet motion.
Specification