Prosthetic valve for a blood vein and an associated method of implantation of the valve
First Claim
1. A method of implanting a prosthetic valve within a blood vessel comprising the steps of:
- providing a prosthetic valve including(a) a support ring positionable within said blood vessel and having an outer surface which includes an outwardly facing annular groove, and(b) leaflet means connected to said support ring in a manner permitting substantially unidirectional flow through said ring;
forming an opening in the blood vessel at a location therealong spaced from the location at which said valve is desired to be implanted;
inserting said prosthetic valve through the formed opening to such desired location at which said valve is to be implanted and orienting said valve so that said support ring thereof is generally in a radial plane of said blood vessel;
providing cord means;
tightening the cord means about the outer wall of the blood vessel such that the proximate portion of the blood vessel is caused to assume the contour of said groove; and
holding such tigntened cord means so that said support ring is held in such desired position.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A prosthetic valve and an associated method of implanting the valve within a blood vein utilize a valve support ring and a pair of leaflet members pivotally connected to the ring. The valve is positionable within a radial plane of the blood vessel for permitting substantially unidirectional flow through the blood vein. The support ring is not required to be sutured within a blood vein and instead includes an outer surface defining a radially outwardly-directed annular groove, so that the valve can be secured within the blood vein by means of a cord tied around of the blood vein and in a tightened condition within the annular groove. The support ring is held in such fixed position along the length of the blood vein because the blood vein is held between the support ring outer surface and the cord. Furthermore, the support ring outer surface is contoured in such a manner so that when the valve is operatively secured within a blood vein, the inner wall of the blood vein lies in substantial conformity to the shape of the ring outer surface.
505 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of implanting a prosthetic valve within a blood vessel comprising the steps of:
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providing a prosthetic valve including (a) a support ring positionable within said blood vessel and having an outer surface which includes an outwardly facing annular groove, and (b) leaflet means connected to said support ring in a manner permitting substantially unidirectional flow through said ring; forming an opening in the blood vessel at a location therealong spaced from the location at which said valve is desired to be implanted; inserting said prosthetic valve through the formed opening to such desired location at which said valve is to be implanted and orienting said valve so that said support ring thereof is generally in a radial plane of said blood vessel; providing cord means; tightening the cord means about the outer wall of the blood vessel such that the proximate portion of the blood vessel is caused to assume the contour of said groove; and holding such tigntened cord means so that said support ring is held in such desired position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A prosthetic valve adapted to be inserted into a blood vessel and held in a desired position therein without suturing the same, comprising:
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an annular thin-walled support ring having a substantially-constant wall thickness and having an undulating longitudinal cross-section extending between first and second annular end faces, said ring having an outer surface which includes an annular first convex surface joining said first end face, an outwardly-facing annular groove, and a second annular convex surface joining said second end face, said ring having an inner surface extending between said end faces, said inner surface having an inwardly-extending bulge to accommodate the contour of said groove; and leaflet means mounted on said support ring for movement toward and away from said bulge to permit only unidirectional flow through said support ring; whereby said valve may be inserted into said blood vessel such that the longitudinal axis of said support ring is substantially coincident with the axis of elongation of said blood vessel, and held in such position by means of a tightened cord holding a proximate portion of said blood vessel in said groove. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification