Heart valve structures
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A replacement heart valve structure for implanting into a patient comprising:
- a tissue structure including an intact heart valve that has been harvested from a mammal and preserved, the tissue structure having an annular blood outflow edge portion that undulates in the axial direction as one proceeds annularly around the annular blood outflow edge portion; and
a resilient support structure for resiliently supporting the annular blood outflow edge, the resilient support structure comprising an elastically deformable undulating wire ring following the annular blood outflow edge continuously all the way around the tissue structure and being entirely radially outside the outer surface of the tissue structure at the annular blood outflow edge continuously all the way around the annular blood outflow edge, and wherein the undulating wire ring is positioned to surround only the annular outflow edge.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A replacement heart valve structure including a structure of tissue which is an intact, mammalian heart valve that has been harvested and treated to preserve it. A conventional fabric sleeve is typically disposed concentrically around the outside of the tissue structure. A support structure is included to facilitate implanting the heart valve by somewhat increasing the stability of the heart valve structure, but without unduly rigidifying it. An annular sewing cuff may be added adjacent the blood inflow end of the valve structure to facilitate making the annular suture line that is required at that end.
49 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A replacement heart valve structure for implanting into a patient comprising:
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a tissue structure including an intact heart valve that has been harvested from a mammal and preserved, the tissue structure having an annular blood outflow edge portion that undulates in the axial direction as one proceeds annularly around the annular blood outflow edge portion; and a resilient support structure for resiliently supporting the annular blood outflow edge, the resilient support structure comprising an elastically deformable undulating wire ring following the annular blood outflow edge continuously all the way around the tissue structure and being entirely radially outside the outer surface of the tissue structure at the annular blood outflow edge continuously all the way around the annular blood outflow edge, and wherein the undulating wire ring is positioned to surround only the annular outflow edge. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A replacement heart valve structure for implanting into a patient comprising:
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a tissue structure including an intact heart valve that has been harvested from a mammal and preserved, the tissue structure having an annular blood outflow edge that undulates in the axial direction as one proceeds annularly around the annular blood outflow edge; a resilient support structure for resiliently supporting the annular blood outflow edge;
the resilient support structure comprising an elastically deformable undulating wire ring following the annular blood outflow edge continuously all the way around the tissue structure and being entirely radially outside the outer surface of the tissue structure at the annular blood outflow edge continuously all the way around the annular blood outflow edge, and wherein the undulating wire ring is positioned to surround only the outflow edge;a second resilient support structure that at least radially supports parts of the tissue structure adjacent a blood inflow edge portion, wherein the first and second support structures are connected to one another at a plurality of locations that are annularly spaced from one another around the replacement heart valve structure; and a sleeve attached to a portion of the tissue structure and configured to substantially cover the resilient support structures.
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18. A replacement heart valve structure for implanting into a patient comprising:
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a tissue structure including an intact heart valve that has been harvested from a mammal and preserved, the tissue structure having an annular blood outflow edge that undulates in the axial direction as one proceeds annularly around the annular blood outflow edge; a resilient support structure for resiliently supporting the annular blood outflow edge, the resilient support structure comprising an elastically deformable undulating wire ring following the annular blood outflow edge continuously all the way around the tissue structure and being entirely radially outside the outer surface of the tissue structure at the annular blood outflow edge continuously all the way around the annular blood outflow edge, and wherein the undulating wire ring is positioned to surround only the annular outflow edge; and structure for releasably deflecting free end portions of the annular blood outflow edge radially inwardly.
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Specification