Heart valve assembly comprising twofold sealing

• US 9,877,830 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2015
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Venus Medtech (Hangzhou), Inc.
• Original Assignee: Venus Medtech (Hangzhou), Inc.
• Inventors: Lim, Hou-Sen, Gtz, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Schall, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US15/126,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20170095326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• 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 2/2418 Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2439 Expansion controlled by filaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/006 modular

Abstract

The present invention relates to a heart valve assembly (1000), comprising a frame (1) and a heart valve (100), wherein the frame (1) supports the heart valve (100) or is interconnected thereto, preferably by sewing or sewing alone, the frame (1) comprising at least a first guiding structure (2a) for guiding at least one tension thread (5) for folding and/or unfolding the frame (1) around or along the frame (1), preferably at an outside or an outer circumference of the guiding structure (2a), wherein the heart valve (100), comprises at least two leaflets (101, 101′, 101″); an interconnecting tissue (301) interconnecting the leaflets (101, 101′, 101″) with the frame; wherein the interconnecting tissue (301) or parts thereof, respectively, is interconnected to at least one of the guiding structures (2a, 2b) such that it covers the guiding structure (2a, 2b) or parts thereof at an inner circumference of the guiding structure (2a, 2b) and such that it also covers at least both an upper part (2c) and a lower part (2d) of the outer circumference of the guiding structure (2a, 2b).

Claims

1. A heart valve assembly (1000), comprising a frame (1) and a heart valve (100), wherein:

the frame (1) supports the heart valve (100) or is interconnected thereto, the frame (1) comprising;

at least a first guiding structure (2a) for guiding at least one tension thread (5) for folding and/or unfolding the frame (1) around or along the frame (1);

at least a second guiding structure (2b), different from the first guiding structure (2a) for guiding at least one tension thread (5) for folding and/or unfolding the frame (1) around or along the frame (1);

at least two posts (3), the posts (3) being arranged between the first and the second guiding structure (2a, 2b) in order to interconnect the first and the second guiding structure (2a, 2b) with each other and/or to maintain the distance between them;

the heart valve (100), comprises;

at least two leaflets (101, 101′

, 101″

);

an interconnecting tissue (301) interconnecting the leaflets (101, 101′

, 101″

) with the frame;

wherein the interconnecting tissue (301) or parts thereof, respectively, is interconnected to at least one of the guiding structures (2a, 2b) such that it covers the guiding structure (2a, 2b) or parts thereof at an inner circumference of the guiding structure (2a, 2b) and such that it also covers at least both an upper part (2c) and a lower part (2d) of the outer circumference of the guiding structure (2a, 2b).

2. The heart valve assembly (1000) according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and the second guiding structure (2a, 2b) comprises bars (11) or consist of bars (11), wherein the bars (11) have top portions (2b′

) and bottom portions (2b′

), and wherein the interconnecting tissue (301) or parts thereof is interconnected to the bars (11) such that it covers the bars (11) at an inner circumference of the guiding structure (2a, 2b) and also at both an upper part (2c) and a lower part (2d) of the outer circumference of the guiding structure (2a, 2b).

3. The heart valve assembly (100) according to claim 1, wherein the interconnecting tissue (301) comprises:

at least one crown piece (111) interconnected to the leaflets (101, 101′

, 101″

);

a top cuff (121); and

a bottom cuff (131);

wherein the crown piece (111), the top cuff (121) and the bottom cuff (131) each being ring-shaped, and each of the top cuff (121) and the bottom cuff (131) being interconnected with the crown piece (111).

4. The heart valve assembly (1000) according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the ring-shaped top cuff (121) and the ring-shaped bottom cuff (131) is formed from a stripe or comprises a stripe, wherein the stripe is curved along its length.

5. The heart valve assembly (1000) according to claim 3, wherein the top cuff (121) has a width (wtc) that is smaller than the width (wbc) of the bottom cuff (131).

6. The heart valve assembly (1000) according to claim 3, wherein the crown piece (111) or a section thereof is interposed between the top cuff (121) and the bottom cuff (131).

7. The heart valve assembly (1000) according to claim 1, wherein the frame (1) is foldable and/or unfoldable.

8. The heart valve assembly (1000) according to claim 1, wherein bars (11) of at least one of the first and the second guiding structure (2a, 2b) are interconnected to each other so as to form a zig-zag pattern or an undulating or meandering pattern, and wherein the bars (11) are arranged outside the circle or the area circumscribed by at least one of the interconnecting tissue (301), the top cuff (121) and the bottom cuff (131).