Reinforced heart valve leaflets
AssigneeXeltis AG
InventorsRoland Lambertus Joannes Lalieu, Martijn Antonius Johannes Cox
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A heart valve with reinforced leaflets is provided. The free edge of the leaflet and/or the leaflet belly area of the leaflet has a circumferentially aligned band of aligned electrospun fibers with non-aligned fibers. The aligned and/or the non-aligned fibers are bioabsorbable polymer fibers, and are capable of being replaced over time with newly formed tissue. A method is provided to make these heart valve leaflets using two sources of electrospinning which electrospun simultaneously to either form distinct layers or intermixed layers of aligned and non-aligned fibers.
Claims10
A method of electrospinning a heart valve leaflet, comprising:
- (a) electrospinning aligned fibers onto a mandrel using a first source, wherein the aligned fibers are bioabsorbable polymer fibers;
- and
- (b) electrospinning non-aligned fibers onto the mandrel using a second source, wherein the second source electospins simultaneously with the first source and, wherein the non-aligned fibers are bioabsorbable polymer fibers,
- wherein the electrospinning of the aligned fibers includes electrospinning distinct patches or regions at the mandrel therewith producing a circumferentially aligned band of the heart valve leaflet, and wherein the aligned fibers and the non-aligned fibers at the distinct patches or regions are electrospun as either distinct layers or as an intermixed pattern.
A heart valve, comprising at least one leaflet, wherein a free edge of the leaflet consists essentially of a circumferentially aligned band of aligned electrospun fibers with non-aligned fibers, wherein the aligned fibers are bioabsorbable polymer fibers, wherein the non-aligned fibers are bioabsorbable polymer fibers, and wherein the aligned fibers and the non-aligned fibers at the free edge are intermixed.
A heart valve, comprising at least one leaflet, wherein the leaflet belly area consists essentially of a circumferentially aligned band of aligned electrospun fibers with non-aligned fibers, wherein the aligned fibers are bioabsorbable polymer fibers, wherein the non-aligned fibers are bioabsorbable polymer fibers, and wherein the aligned fibers and the non-aligned fibers at the free edge are intermixed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.