Prosthetic valve means for cardiovascular surgery

• US 4,406,022 A
• Filed: 11/16/1981
• Issued: 09/27/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Katherine Roy, Kathryn Roy
• Original Assignee: Kathryn Roy
• Inventors: Roy, Henry R.
• Primary Examiner(s): FRINKS, RONALD
• Application Number:
  US06/321,988
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 3/1.5, 137/512.1, 137/512, 137/527, 137/527.8
• US Class Current: 623/2.27
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2403 with pivoting rigid closure members check valves with hinged closure members in general F16K15/03
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/035 with a plurality of valve members
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/036 Dual valve members with hinges crossing the flow line substantially diametrical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7838 Plural
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7839 Dividing and recombining in a single flow path
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7898 Pivoted valves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49938 Radially expanding part in cavity, aperture, or hollow body

Abstract

Prosthetic valve means for use in heart surgery includes a retainer ring member designed to be attached to portions of a living heart. Leaflet means are supported for hinging movement in the retainer ring to simulate the movement of heart flaps in a human heart. The retainer ring means has inner peripheral wall portions removed to form spaced apart apertures in which occur hinging sockets for receiving hinging stud portions of the leaflet means. The spaced apart apertures are further characterized by upper and lower stop edges against which the leaflets may seat in an alternating manner and the stud portions are freely supported in respective sockets to provide for floating a leaflet in the paths of travel of a flow of blood during the systolic and diastolic functioning of a human heart.

Claims

1. Improved prosthetic valve means for use in cardiovascular surgery including a retainer ring and leaflet members supported in the retainer ring for hinging movement to simulate movement of heart flap members in opening and closing a passageway through the retainer ring for flow of blood,

characterized in that each of the leaflet members includes an arcuate portion occurring in spaced relation to adjacent portions of the retainer ring, hinging studs located at opposite extremities of each of the arcuate portions, seating edges extending inwardly from respective hinging studs in substantially parallel relationship and inner extremities of the leaflet members formed with converging edges which intersect respective seating edges of the leaflets, and said valve means further characterized in that the inner peripheral surface of the retainer ring is constructed with circumferentially spaced apart lobes, each of which has inwardly projecting sides which intersect one another, and each of the lobe sides being recessed to form a hinging aperture defined by vertically and horizontally disposed stop edges which intersect one another substantially at right angles, said stop edges being constructed and arranged to receive the said seating edges thereagainst, each of the hinging apertures being formed at points closely adjacent to points of intersection of the stop edges with hinging stud sockets and each of the said leaflets being formed with medial lines of bending along which the leaflets are expanded to locate the said hinging studs in respective hinging stud sockets and to provide for only hinging studs and seating edges being engageable with the retainer ring.

2. The invention of claim 1 in which the leaflet seating edges are seated against respective horizontally disposed stop edges at a closed position of the valve and the seating edges seated against the vertically disposed stop edges when the valve is moved into an opened position.

3. The invention of claim 1 in which the hinging stud sockets are of a size slightly larger than the size of the hinging studs to loosely confine the studs and to provide for floating the leaflets in the paths of travel of flows of blood during the cystolic and diastolic functioning of the human heart.