Bicuspid pulmonary heart valve and method for making same

• US 20060167542A1
• Filed: 01/24/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James Quintessenza
• Original Assignee: James Quintessenza
• Inventors: Quintessenza, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,320,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/2.120
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for The present invention is a heart valve constructed from a synthetic resin to be surgically implanted in the right ventricular outflow tract of the heart comprising a plurality of flexible members, and an orifice.

Claims

1. A heart valve comprising:

a generally tubular element with first and second ends;

the first end further comprising an orifice of a predetermined size and shape, and defined by at least two opposing free edges of a predetermined length and wherein said orifice can occupy either a first or a second position, wherein said first position is flat and generally closed, and said second position is generally circular and open;

the second end further comprising a plurality of flexible members.

2. The heart valve of claim 1 wherein said orifice is generally circular and with a diameter about 1.5 times the diameter of a patient'"'"'s right ventricular outflow tract.

3. The heart valve of claim 1 wherein said predetermined length of said at least two opposing free edges is equal to about 1.5 times the diameter of a patient'"'"'s right ventricular outflow tract.

4. The heart valve of claim 1 further being comprised of a fluoropolymer.

5. The heart valve of claim 1 further being comprised of polytetrafluoroethylene.

6. The heart valve of claim 1 further being comprised of a biocompatible, synthetic resin.

11. A method of inserting said heart valve of claim 1 comprising the steps of:

making an incision into a right ventricular outflow tract of a patient;

attaching each of said plurality of flexible members to the anterior and posterior wall of the infundibular septum of said right ventricular outflow tract, such that said plurality of flexible members is generally parallel to each other, and such that said generally tubular structure is maintained.

7. A method of making a heart valve comprising the steps of making an incision into the right ventricular outflow tract;

measuring the diameter of the right ventricular outflow tract;

cutting from a flat sheet of synthetic resin an ellipse having a major and a minor axis, wherein the minor axis has a predetermined length and is defined by at least two peripheral edges;

incising said ellipse along the minor axis, such that said incision extends along the minor axis, and is defined by said at least two peripheral edges;

folding said ellipse in half on itself along said minor axis; and

forming said incision into an orifice of predetermined diameter and shape.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said at least two peripheral edges are each about 2 millimeters long.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said orifice of predetermined diameter is equal to about 1.5 times the of the diameter of the right ventricular outflow tract and is generally circular.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said predetermined length of said minor axis is about 1.5 times the diameter of said right ventricular outflow tract.