Collapsible prosthetic heart valves

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9351828-B2
Application number	US-201514943521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2015
Priority date	Sep 26, 2007
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

Prosthetic heart valves, which are collapsible to a relatively small circumferential size for less invasive delivery into a patient and which then re-expand to operating size at an implant site in the patient, include a collapsible/expandable stent-like supporting structure and various components of flexible, sheet-like material that are attached to the supporting structure. For example, these sheet-like other components may include prosthetic valve leaflets, layers of buffering material, cuff material, etc. Improved structures and techniques are provided for securing such other components to the stent-like supporting structure of the valve.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A prosthetic heart valve comprising:
an annularly collapsible and re-expandable supporting structure extending between an inflow end and an outflow end and including a plurality of struts, the inflow end having an inflow edge;
a plurality of leaflets disposed inside the supporting structure and operative to allow flow in an antegrade direction from the inflow end to the outflow end but to substantially block flow in a retrograde direction from the outflow end to the inflow end; and
a material disposed adjacent the inflow end of the supporting structure, the material extending from a luminal surface of the supporting structure, wrapping around the inflow edge and extending over a portion of the abluminal surface of the supporting structure so that the material includes a first portion disposed on the luminal surface of the supporting structure and a second portion disposed on the abluminal surface of the supporting structure, the first portion and the second portion being secured to selected struts of the supporting structure.

2. The valve defined in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of leaflets includes three leaflets.

3. The valve defined in claim 1 , wherein the struts define a plurality of cells.

4. The valve defined in claim 1 , wherein the material comprises a fabric.

5. The valve defined in claim 1 , wherein the first portion and the second portion comprise a single sheet folded at the inflow edge of the supporting structure.

6. The valve defined in claim 1 , wherein the first portion extends a first distance from the inflow edge toward the outflow end of the supporting structure and the second portion extends a second distance from the inflow edge toward the outflow end of the supporting structure, the first distance and the second distance being equal.

7. The valve defined in claim 1 , wherein the first portion extends a first distance from the inflow edge toward the outflow end of the supporting structure and the second portion extends a second distance from the inflow edge toward the outflow end of the supporting structure, the first distance and the second distance being unequal.

8. The valve defined in claim 1 , wherein the first portion extends from the inflow edge further towards the outflow end of the supporting structure than the second portion.

9. The valve defined in claim 1 , wherein the supporting structure includes a plurality of cells arranged in annular rows and the second portion extends over at least one full row of cells.

10. A prosthetic heart valve comprising:
an annularly collapsible and re-expandable supporting structure extending between an inflow end and an outflow end and including a plurality of struts, the inflow end having an inflow edge;
a plurality of leaflets disposed inside the supporting structure and operative to allow flow in an antegrade direction from the inflow end to the outflow end but to substantially block flow in a retrograde direction from the outflow end to the inflow end; and
at least one sheet of material disposed adjacent the inflow end of the supporting structure, the material extending from a luminal surface of the supporting structure, wrapping around the inflow edge, and extending over a portion of the abluminal surface of the supporting structure, the material including a first portion disposed on the luminal surface of the supporting structure and a second portion disposed on the abluminal surface of the supporting structure;
wherein the first portion and the second portion are coupled together at a top edge of the second portion.

11. The prosthetic heart valve defined in claim 10 , wherein the at least one sheet is a single continuous sheet.

12. The valve defined in claim 10 , wherein the plurality of leaflets includes three leaflets.

13. The valve defined in claim 10 , wherein the struts define a plurality of cells.

14. The valve defined in claim 10 , wherein the material comprises a fabric.

15. A prosthetic heart valve comprising:
an annularly collapsible and re-expandable supporting structure extending between an inflow end and an outflow end, the supporting structure including a plurality of cells arranged in annular rows and the inflow end having an inflow edge;
a plurality of leaflets disposed inside the supporting structure and operative to allow flow in an antegrade direction from the inflow end to the outflow end but to substantially block flow in a retrograde direction from the outflow end to the inflow end; and
a material disposed adjacent the inflow end of the supporting structure, the material extending from a luminal surface of the supporting structure, wrapping around the inflow edge and extending over a portion of the abluminal surface of the supporting structure, the material including a first portion disposed on the luminal surface of the supporting structure and a second portion disposed on the abluminal surface of the supporting structure;
wherein a top edge of the second portion is affixed to at least one of the supporting structure and the first portion so that the second portion extends over at least a portion of one of the cells with the portion of the one cell sandwiched between exactly two layers of material.

16. The valve defined in claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of commissure features disposed on the supporting structure.

17. The valve defined in claim 15 , wherein the plurality of leaflets includes three leaflets.

18. The valve defined in claim 15 , wherein the material comprises a fabric.

19. The valve defined in claim 15 , wherein the first portion and the second portion comprise a single sheet folded at the inflow edge of the supporting structure.

20. The valve defined in claim 15 , wherein the first portion extends a first distance from the inflow edge toward the outflow end of the supporting structure and the second portion extends a second distance from the inflow edge toward the outflow end of the supporting structure, the first distance and the second distance being equal.

21. The valve defined in claim 15 , wherein the first portion extends a first distance from the inflow edge toward the outflow end of the supporting structure and the second portion extends a second distance from the inflow edge toward the outflow end of the supporting structure, the first distance and the second distance being unequal.

22. The valve defined in claim 15 , wherein the first portion extends from the inflow edge further towards the outflow end of the supporting structure than the second portion.

23. A prosthetic heart valve comprising:
an annularly collapsible and re-expandable supporting structure extending between an inflow end and an outflow end and including a plurality of struts, the inflow end having an inflow edge;
a plurality of leaflets disposed inside the supporting structure and operative to allow flow in an antegrade direction from the inflow end to the outflow end but to substantially block flow in a retrograde direction from the outflow end to the inflow end; and
a material disposed adjacent the inflow end of the supporting structure and including at least one section, the material extending from a luminal surface of the supporting structure, wrapping around the inflow edge, and extending over a portion of the abluminal surface of the supporting structure, the material including a first portion disposed on the luminal surface of the supporting structure and a second portion disposed on the abluminal surface of the supportin

Assignees

• St Jude Medical

Inventors

• Braido Peter N
• Mccarthy Andrea L
• Figueiredo Rubem L
• Schraut Julia A

Classifications

• A61F2/2412 Primary

  with soft flexible valve members, e.g. tissue valves shaped like natural valves · CPC title

• A61F2/2403

  with pivoting rigid closure members (check valves with hinged closure members in general F16K15/03) · CPC title

• A61F2/2418

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

• A61F2220/0075

  sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable · CPC title

• A61F2220/0008

  Fixation appliances for connecting prostheses to the body · CPC title