Surgical heart valves adapted for post-implant expansion
First Claim
1. A prosthetic heart valve adapted for post-implant expansion and having an inflow end and an outflow end, comprising:
- an inner structural support stent including an annular composite band having upstanding commissure posts extending in the outflow direction alternating with arcuate inflow cusps, wherein the support stent comprises a radially thin outer band located concentrically around and attached to a radially thin inner band that defines the commissure posts, the stent defining an implant circumference that is non-compressible in normal physiological use and has a first diameter, and wherein the outer band has a single expandable segment around its periphery that permits expansion of the support stent from the first diameter to a second diameter larger than the first diameter upon application of an outward dilatory force from within the support stent larger than forces associated with normal physiological use, the single expandable segment being formed by overlapping free ends of the outer band located at one of the cusps of the stent, the free ends overlapping with one outside the other and wherein a flexible sleeve closely surrounds the overlapped free ends to maintain alignment thereof and provides an amount of friction to resist expansion thereof, the free ends otherwise being free to expand from the first diameter, and wherein the inner band is configured to expand below each of the commissure posts when the outer band expands; and
a plurality of flexible leaflets supported by the stent and configured to ensure one-way blood flow therethrough.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A prosthetic heart valve configured to replace a native heart valve and having a support frame configured to be reshaped into an expanded form in order to receive and/or support an expandable prosthetic heart valve therein is disclosed, together with methods of using same. The prosthetic heart valve may be configured to have a generally rigid and/or expansion-resistant configuration when initially implanted to replace a native valve (or other prosthetic heart valve), but to assume a generally expanded form when subjected to an outward force such as that provided by a dilation balloon or other mechanical expander.
161 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A prosthetic heart valve adapted for post-implant expansion and having an inflow end and an outflow end, comprising:
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an inner structural support stent including an annular composite band having upstanding commissure posts extending in the outflow direction alternating with arcuate inflow cusps, wherein the support stent comprises a radially thin outer band located concentrically around and attached to a radially thin inner band that defines the commissure posts, the stent defining an implant circumference that is non-compressible in normal physiological use and has a first diameter, and wherein the outer band has a single expandable segment around its periphery that permits expansion of the support stent from the first diameter to a second diameter larger than the first diameter upon application of an outward dilatory force from within the support stent larger than forces associated with normal physiological use, the single expandable segment being formed by overlapping free ends of the outer band located at one of the cusps of the stent, the free ends overlapping with one outside the other and wherein a flexible sleeve closely surrounds the overlapped free ends to maintain alignment thereof and provides an amount of friction to resist expansion thereof, the free ends otherwise being free to expand from the first diameter, and wherein the inner band is configured to expand below each of the commissure posts when the outer band expands; and a plurality of flexible leaflets supported by the stent and configured to ensure one-way blood flow therethrough. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification