Stented prosthetic heart valve with variable stiffness and methods of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11857413-B2
Application number	US-202217845222-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2022
Priority date	Jan 27, 2014
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

A prosthetic heart valve including a stent frame and a valve structure. The valve structure is disposed within a lumen of the stent frame. The stent frame is configured to self-expand from a compressed condition for transluminal delivery. The stent frame has a lattice structure forming a tubular shape defining a circumference and a plurality of closed cells arranged to define a band exhibiting a variable radial stiffness. The prosthesis can be deployed such that the band applies a minimal force on to anatomical locations relating to the heart's conductive pathways. A region of the band otherwise having low radial stiffness is located at or over a conductive pathway upon final implant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of treating a native heart valve of a patient, the method comprising:
delivering a prosthetic heart valve to the native heart valve with a delivery device, the prosthetic heart valve including a stent frame maintaining a valve structure, the stent frame configured to expand from a compressed condition to a natural, expanded condition, the stent frame having a lattice structure defining at least a first band of closed cells extending about an entirety of a circumference of the stent frame, the first band defining first and second regions, the first region having a maximum radial stiffness less than a minimum radial stiffness of the second region, the stent frame including a radiopaque marker; at least partially deploying the prosthetic heart valve from the delivery device into the native heart valve, including the stent frame self-expanding toward the natural condition; and aligning the first region with a desired anatomical location of the native heart valve.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of aligning includes aligning the radiopaque marker with a native commissure of the native heart valve.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the desired anatomical location of the native heart valve is a conductive pathway.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the conductive pathway is one of conduction fibers of a left ventricular septum, SA node, and bundle of His.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the closed cells of the first band are uniformly spaced along the circumference.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the valve structure includes a plurality of leaflets arranged to define an inflow side and an outflow side, and further wherein the first band Is located proximate the inflow side.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein an arc angle of the first region is less than an arc angle of the second region.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the closed cells includes a plurality of interconnected struts, and further wherein a geometry of at least one of the struts of the closed cells of the first region is less than a corresponding geometry of a corresponding strut of the closed cells of the second region.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the geometry is at least one of a length and a width of a segment of the strut.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the struts at the first region is tapered resulting in a variance in mass of the tapered strut as compared to struts at the second region.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first band further includes a joint connector connecting immediately circumferentially adjacent ones of the closed cells to one another, and further wherein a geometry of each of the joint connectors of the first region is less than a corresponding geometry of each of the joint connectors of the second region.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the closed cells are arranged to further define a second band of closed cells extending about an entirety of the circumference, the second band being immediately longitudinally adjacent the first band, and further wherein the second band is configured to have a variable radial stiffness along the circumference in the natural condition.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first and second bands collectively define a low radial stiffness region.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the closed cells are formed by struts and interconnected with nodes extending between adjacent cells, and further wherein the nodes of the first band are configured to have a variance in mass to result in a variable radial stiffness along the circumference in the natural condition.

15. A method of treating a native heart valve of a patient, the method comprising:
delivering a prosthetic heart valve to the native heart valve with a delivery device, the prosthetic heart valve including a stent frame maintaining a valve structure, the stent frame configured to expand from a compressed condition to a natural, expanded condition, the stent frame having a lattice structure defining at least a first band of closed cells extending about an entirety of a circumference of the stent frame, the first band defining first and second regions, the first region having a maximum radial stiffness less than a minimum radial stiffness of the second region, the stent frame further including a radiopaque marker; at least partially deploying the prosthetic heart valve from the delivery device into the native heart valve, including the stent frame self-expanding toward the natural condition; and aligning the radiopaque marker so that the first region with a desired anatomical location of the native heart valve.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the radiopaque marker is aligned with a commissure of the native heart valve.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the desired anatomical location of the native heart valve is a conductive pathway.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the conductive pathway is one of conduction fibers of a left ventricular septum, SA node, and a bundle of His.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein each of the closed cells of the first band are uniformly spaced along the circumference.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein an arc angle of the first region is less than an arc angle of the second region.

Assignees

• Medtronic Vascular Galway Ltd

Inventors

• Bell Rodney
• Costello Declan

Classifications

• A61F2/2418 Primary

  Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents · CPC title

• A61F2250/0018

  differing in elasticity, stiffness or compressibility · CPC title

• A61F2250/0029

  differing in bending or flexure capacity · CPC title

• A61F2250/0039

  differing in diameter · CPC title

• A61F2250/0036

  differing in thickness · CPC title