Self-growing heart valves

A method of treating a defective heart valve, the method comprising:

• delivering a self-growing heart valve device to a target heart valve of a patient, the self-growing heart valve device including a self-growing frame and a plurality of self-growing leaflets coupled to the self-growing frame, the self-growing frame configured to change in diameter after implantation to accommodate growth of the patient, the plurality of self-growing leaflets configured to increase in size with an increase in size of the diameter of the self-growing frame such that the plurality of self-growing leaflets are adapted to coapt in a range of diameters of the self-growing frame, the range of diameters extending from an initial expanded state to a post-operative expanded state;
• and
• deploying the self-growing heart valve device within an annulus of the target heart valve such that the self-growing frame is expanded to the initial expanded state and attached to the annulus;
• and
• expanding the self-growing heart valve device to a post-operative expanded state, expansion of the self-growing heart valve due to growth of the patient that causes the annulus to increase in size,
• wherein the diameter of the self-growing frame in the initial expanded state is less than 14 mm,
• wherein the diameter of the self-growing frame in the post-operative expanded state is greater than 50 mm,
• wherein the plurality of self-growing leaflets each include a structural support that provides structure to the plurality of self-growing leaflets at a range of sizes that covers the range of diameters from the initial expanded state to the post-operative expanded state,
• wherein expansion of the self-growing frame causes points along a peripheral edge of each leaflet of the plurality of self-growing leaflets to be pulled apart axially to expand the structural support along coaptation edges of each leaflet of the plurality of self-growing leaflets such that the plurality of self-growing leaflets coapt in the range of diameters of the self-growing frame from the initial expanded state to the post-operative expanded state.

A method of treating a defective heart valve, the method comprising:

• compressing a self-growing heart valve device to a low-profile configuration, the self-growing heart valve being in a crimped state in the low-profile configuration, the self-growing heart valve device including a self-growing frame and a plurality of self-growing leaflets coupled to the self-growing frame;
• delivering the self-growing heart valve device in the crimped state to a target heart valve of a patient;
• and
• deploying the self-growing heart valve device within an annulus of the target heart valve, the self-growing heart valve adapted to expand to an initial expanded state such that the self-growing frame exerts a radially outward force against the annulus of the target valve to implant the self-growing heart valve device at the target heart valve,
• wherein, after deployment, the self-growing frame exerts a radially outward force such that the self-growing heart valve device is adapted to expand from the initial expanded state to a post-operative expanded state to accommodate growth of the annulus of the target heart valve due to growth of the patient,
• wherein the plurality of self-growing leaflets is adapted to continue to coapt with expansion of the self-growing heart valve from the initial expanded state to the post-operative expanded state.