# US 12,758,380 B2 · Collapsible prosthetic heart valves > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,758,380 B2 - Document ID: US12758380B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/526,400 - Filed: 2023-12-01 - Published: 2024-03-21 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2007-09-26 - Assignees: St. Jude Medical, Inc. - Applicants: St. Jude Medical, LLC - Inventors: Peter Nicholas Braido; Andrea L. McCarthy; Rubem L Figueiredo; Julia A. Schraut - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12758380B2 ## CPC - A61F 2/2409: {Support rings therefor, e.g. for connecting valves to tissue (annuloplasty rings A61F2/2442)} - A61F 2/2403: {with pivoting rigid closure members (check valves with hinged closure members in general F16K15/03)} - A61F 2/2412: {with soft flexible valve members, e.g. tissue valves shaped like natural valves} - A61F 2/2418: {Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents} - A61F 2/2433: {using balloon catheter} - A61F 2/89: the wire-like elements comprising two or more adjacent rings flexibly connected by separate members - A61F 2/2415: {Manufacturing methods} - A61F 2220/0008: Fixation appliances for connecting prostheses to the body - A61F 2220/0075: sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable - A61F 2230/0006: circular - A61F 2230/0054: V-shaped - A61F 2230/0069: cylindrical - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A prosthetic heart valve, comprising: a stent having an expanded condition and a collapsed condition, the stent extending in a longitudinal direction between an inflow end and an outflow end and including a plurality of annularly spaced commissure posts, each commissure post including an elongated slot extending in the longitudinal direction; a plurality of leaflets mounted within the stent and operative to allow blood flow in a first direction from the inflow end to the outflow end and to substantially block flow in an opposite direction from the outflow end to the inflow end; a sheet material disposed on an inner surface of the stent; each of the leaflets having a first end portion, a second end portion, a secured line portion between the first end portion and the second end portion, the secured line portion being attached to the stent and/or to the sheet material, and a free edge between the first end portion and the second end portion and spaced apart from the secured line portion, the free edge being adapted to coapt with the free edge of other ones of the leaflets, wherein the first end portion of a first leaflet and the first end portion of a second leaflet adjacent to the first leaflet extend through the elongated slot of one of the commissure posts from an interior of the stent to an exterior of the stent such that the first leaflet and the second leaflet are secured to the one commissure post with at least a part of the first end portions positioned on an outside surface of the stent. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the commissure posts includes a plurality of eyelets disposed on opposite sides of the elongated slot, and the first end portion and the second end portion of each of the leaflets are connected to the eyelets of respective ones of the commissure posts by sutures. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The prosthetic heart valve as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sutures are knotted on the outside surface of the stent. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein ends of the elongated slots are closed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongated slot of each of the commissure posts has one open end and one closed end. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the commissure posts are cantilevered from the stent. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a layer of material disposed over the part of the first end portions positioned on the outside surface of the stent. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The prosthetic heart valve as claimed in claim 7, wherein the layer of material has similar properties to the sheet material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the leaflets are fully sealed at the commissure posts. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the commissure posts includes an eyelet between the elongated slot and the inflow end of the stent. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stent includes a flared section at the inflow end. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sheet material lines an interior surface of the commissure posts. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The prosthetic heart valve as claimed in claim 12, wherein the sheet material includes a slit forming flaps, and the flaps extend through the elongated slots of the commissure posts. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sheet material wraps around the inflow end of the stent from the interior of the stent to the exterior of the stent. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a cuff material positioned on the outside surface of the stent.