Methods of implant of a heart valve with a convertible sewing ring
First Claim
1. A method of implanting at a heart valve annulus a prosthetic heart valve having an inflow end and an outflow end that define a flow direction through the valve, a structural stent, and a sewing ring attached to a periphery thereof, comprising:
- orienting the sewing ring in a second stable orientation extending generally against the flow direction and away from the stent;
attaching the sewing ring to the annulus; and
re-positioning the valve with respect to the attached sewing ring so that the sewing ring is in a first stable orientation extending generally with the flow direction and substantially adjacent the stent, and the step of re-positioning includes displacing the valve with respect to the sewing ring so that the sewing ring inverts from its second orientation extending generally against the flow direction to its first orientation extending generally with the flow direction.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A sewing ring for prosthetic heart valves that is connected and configured to pivot outward. A biocompatible fabric covering surrounds at least a portion of the sewing ring, and the ring may be exclusively connected to a stent with the fabric. The sewing ring may be generally planar and of uniform thickness, or may be of varying thickness. The fabric may be used to encompass both the stent and the sewing ring, and may be a single piece. A seam may be provided in the fabric as a discrete pivoting line. The sewing ring may be convertible between bi-stable positions. The ring may extend outward in a frusto-conical shape so as to enable inversion between a position facing the inflow end of the valve and a position facing the outflow end of the valve. A method of implantation, and a method of assembly of the heart valve is also provided.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of implanting at a heart valve annulus a prosthetic heart valve having an inflow end and an outflow end that define a flow direction through the valve, a structural stent, and a sewing ring attached to a periphery thereof, comprising:
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orienting the sewing ring in a second stable orientation extending generally against the flow direction and away from the stent; attaching the sewing ring to the annulus; and re-positioning the valve with respect to the attached sewing ring so that the sewing ring is in a first stable orientation extending generally with the flow direction and substantially adjacent the stent, and the step of re-positioning includes displacing the valve with respect to the sewing ring so that the sewing ring inverts from its second orientation extending generally against the flow direction to its first orientation extending generally with the flow direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of implanting at a heart valve annulus a prosthetic heart valve having an inflow end and an outflow end that define a flow direction through the valve, a structural stent defining a periphery, and a sewing ring attached to the stent periphery and having two bi-stable orientations, comprising:
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positioning the sewing ring in a first of its bi-stable orientations so as to position the sewing ring substantially adjacent the stent periphery; re-positioning the sewing ring into a second of its bi-stable orientations so as to extend generally outward from the first position and farther away from the stent; and attaching the sewing ring to the annulus. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification