Stentless biopolymer heart valve replacement capable of living tissue regeneration

A method of forming an implantable valve construct, comprising:

• activating a three-dimensional printer causing the three-dimensional printer to deposit a flowable polymer on a substrate to form a shape as directed by a digital cutting guide for the valve construct programmed into the three-dimensional printer for guiding deposition of the flowable polymer material to form the shape, wherein the shape comprises:
• an anterior leaflet portion representative of an anterior leaflet of a mitral or tricuspid valve of a heart;
• at least two additional leaflet portions representative of one or more additional leaflets of the mitral valve or the tricuspid valve, wherein each of the anterior leaflet portion and the at least two additional leaflet portions comprises a proximal edge, a distal edge, and side edges extending between the proximal edge and the distal edge, and wherein the anterior leaflet portion is connected to and positioned between the at least two additional leaflet portions;
• a plurality of elongated chordae portions, each having a proximal end connected to the distal edge of the anterior leaflet portion or one of the at least two additional leaflet portions and a distal end extending therefrom;
• and
• at least one papillary muscle head portion formed at a commissure between (i) distal ends of at least two of the plurality of chordae portions that extend laterally and longitudinally away from the anterior leaflet portion and (ii) a distal end of a third chordae portion extending from one of the at least two additional leaflet portions wherein the at least one papillary muscle head portion is spaced laterally and longitudinally from the anterior leaflet portion,
• wherein a total width of the proximal edges of the anterior leaflet portion and the at least two additional leaflet portions of the shape is substantially equal to a circumference of a native annulus of the mitral valve or the tricuspid valve.