Prosthetic aortic heart valves
First Claim
1. A prosthetic aortic valve, comprising:
- an annular stent frame having an expanded condition and a collapsed condition, the stent frame including an annulus inflow portion, an aortic outflow portion, and a plurality of connecting struts, the annulus inflow portion having an inflow end at a first end of the stent frame and an outflow end, the aortic outflow portion having an inlet end, an outlet end at a second end of the stent frame, and a plurality of sections spaced from one another in an annular direction, each of the sections being connected to the annulus inflow portion by a respective one of the connecting struts, the aortic outflow portion being devoid of structure between annularly adjacent ones of the sections so as to define a gap between the annularly adjacent ones of the sections whereby the annularly adjacent ones of the sections are not directly connected to one another, the gap extending from the outflow end of the annulus inflow portion to the second end of the stent frame, the annulus inflow portion including a plurality of commissure structures that are spaced from one another in the annular direction around the annulus inflow portion, each of the commissure structures having a free end, the free ends being features of the annulus inflow portion that are closest to the aortic outflow portion, each of the connecting struts being connected to the annulus inflow portion only at points that are farther from the aortic outflow portion than the free ends of the commissure structures; and
a plurality of valve leaflets supported by the annulus inflow portion.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A prosthetic aortic valve includes an annular, annulus inflow portion that is designed to reside in or near the patient'"'"'s native aortic valve annulus, and an annular, aortic outflow portion that is designed to reside in the patient'"'"'s aorta downstream from at least a portion of the valsalva sinus. The annulus inflow portion and the aortic outflow portion are connected to one another by a plurality of connecting struts that are confined to regions near the commissures of the patient'"'"'s native aortic valve. The connecting struts are designed to bulge out into the valsalva sinus to help anchor the prosthetic valve in place. The valve is circumferentially collapsible to a relatively small diameter for less-invasive delivery into the patient. The valve circumferentially expands to a larger operational diameter when deployed at the implant site.
9 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A prosthetic aortic valve, comprising:
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an annular stent frame having an expanded condition and a collapsed condition, the stent frame including an annulus inflow portion, an aortic outflow portion, and a plurality of connecting struts, the annulus inflow portion having an inflow end at a first end of the stent frame and an outflow end, the aortic outflow portion having an inlet end, an outlet end at a second end of the stent frame, and a plurality of sections spaced from one another in an annular direction, each of the sections being connected to the annulus inflow portion by a respective one of the connecting struts, the aortic outflow portion being devoid of structure between annularly adjacent ones of the sections so as to define a gap between the annularly adjacent ones of the sections whereby the annularly adjacent ones of the sections are not directly connected to one another, the gap extending from the outflow end of the annulus inflow portion to the second end of the stent frame, the annulus inflow portion including a plurality of commissure structures that are spaced from one another in the annular direction around the annulus inflow portion, each of the commissure structures having a free end, the free ends being features of the annulus inflow portion that are closest to the aortic outflow portion, each of the connecting struts being connected to the annulus inflow portion only at points that are farther from the aortic outflow portion than the free ends of the commissure structures; and a plurality of valve leaflets supported by the annulus inflow portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A prosthetic aortic valve, comprising:
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an annular stent frame having an expanded condition and a collapsed condition, the stent frame extending from an inflow end to an outflow end and including an annulus inflow portion adjacent the inflow end, an aortic outflow portion adjacent the outflow end, and a plurality of connecting struts connecting the annulus inflow portion to the aortic outflow portion, the annulus inflow portion including a plurality of commissure structures that are spaced from one another in an annular direction around the annulus inflow portion, each of the commissure structures having a free end, the free ends being features of the annulus inflow portion that are closest to the aortic outflow portion, each of the connecting struts being connected to the annulus inflow portion only at points that are farther from the aortic outflow portion than the free ends of the commissure structures, the aortic outflow portion including a plurality of sections spaced from one another in the annular direction so as to define a gap between annularly adjacent ones of the sections, the aortic outflow portion being devoid of structure between the annularly adjacent ones of the sections so that the gap extends from the outflow end of the stent frame to the free ends of the commissure structures; and a plurality of valve leaflets supported by the annulus inflow portion.
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17. A prosthetic aortic valve, comprising:
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an annular stent frame having an expanded condition and a collapsed condition, the stent frame extending from a proximal end to a distal end and including an annulus inflow portion at the proximal end, and an aortic outflow portion at the distal end, the annulus inflow portion including a plurality of commissure structures that are spaced from one another in an annular direction around the annulus inflow portion, each of the commissure structures having a free end, the free ends being features of the annulus inflow portion that are closest to the aortic outflow portion, the aortic outflow portion including a plurality of sections cantilevered only from points in the annulus inflow portion that are proximal of the free ends of the commissure structures, each of the sections extending distally of the free ends of the commissure structures; and a plurality of valve leaflets supported by the annulus inflow portion.
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Specification