Collapsible prosthetic heart valves

• US 9,241,794 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2014
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St Jude Medical LLC (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: St Jude Medical Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Braido, Peter Nicholas, McCarthy, Andrea L., Figueiredo, Rubem L., Schraut, Julia A.
• Primary Examiner(s): GHERBI, SUZETTE JAIME J
• Application Number:
  US14/334,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20150081013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 623 211- 119
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2403 with pivoting rigid closure members check valves with hinged closure members in general F16K15/03
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2409 Support rings therefor, e.g. for connecting valves to tissue annuloplasty rings A61F2/2442
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2412 with soft flexible valve members, e.g. tissue valves shaped like natural valves check valves with flexible valve members in general F16K15/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2415 Manufacturing methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2418 Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2433 using balloon catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/89 the wire-like elements comprising two or more adjacent rings flexibly connected by separate members
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0008 Fixation appliances for connecting prostheses to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0006 circular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0054 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0069 cylindrical

Abstract

Prosthetic heart valves, which are collapsible to a relatively small circumferential size for less invasive delivery into a patient and which then re-expand to operating size at an implant site in the patient, include a collapsible/expandable stent-like supporting structure and various components of flexible, sheet-like material that are attached to the supporting structure. For example, these sheet-like other components may include prosthetic valve leaflets, layers of buffering material, cuff material, etc. Improved structures and techniques are provided for securing such other components to the stent-like supporting structure of the valve.

Claims

1. A prosthetic heart valve comprising:

an annularly collapsible and re-expandable supporting structure extending between an inflow end and an outflow end;

a plurality of leaflets disposed inside the supporting structure; and

a lower skirt disposed adjacent the inflow end of the supporting structure, the lower skirt including a single continuous sheet that extends from a luminal surface of the supporting structure, wraps around the inflow end and extends over a portion of the abluminal surface of the supporting structure, wherein the lower skirt includes a first portion disposed on the luminal surface of the supporting structure and a second portion disposed on the abluminal surface of the supporting structure and the first portion and the second portion are coupled together at a top edge of the second portion.

2. A prosthetic heart valve comprising:

an annularly collapsible and re-expandable supporting structure extending between an inflow end and an outflow end;

a plurality of leaflets disposed inside the supporting structure; and

a lower skirt disposed adjacent the inflow end of the supporting structure, the lower skirt including a single continuous sheet that extends from a luminal surface of the supporting structure, wraps around the inflow end and extends over a portion of the abluminal surface of the supporting structure, the lower skirt including a first portion disposed on the luminal surface of the supporting structure and a second portion disposed on the abluminal surface of the supporting structure;

wherein the first portion and the second portion are sutured together at a top edge of the second portion.

3. A prosthetic heart valve comprising:

an annularly collapsible and re-expandable supporting structure extending between an inflow end and an outflow end;

a plurality of leaflets disposed inside the supporting structure; and

a lower skirt disposed adjacent the inflow end of the supporting structure, the lower skirt including a single continuous sheet that extends from a luminal surface of the supporting structure, wraps around the inflow end and extends over a portion of the abluminal surface of the supporting structure, the lower skirt including a first portion disposed on the luminal surface of the supporting structure and a second portion disposed on the abluminal surface of the supporting structure;

wherein the supporting structure includes a plurality of cells arranged in rows and the second portion extends over at least a portion of one of the plurality of cells.

4. The valve defined in claim 3, wherein the plurality of flexible leaflets includes three leaflets.

5. The valve defined in claim 3, wherein the supporting structure includes a stent formed of a plurality of struts.

6. The valve defined in claim 3, wherein the lower skirt comprises a fabric.