Expandable frame for improved hemodynamic performance of transcatheter replacement heart valve

A prosthetic heart valve having an inflow end at a distal end of the prosthetic heart valve and an outflow end at a proximal end of the prosthetic heart valve, the prosthetic heart valve configured to:

• (i) open to allow blood flow from the inflow end to the outflow end and (ii) close to prevent blood flow from the outflow end to the inflow end, the prosthetic heart valve comprising:
• a stent frame that is reconfigurable between a low-profile delivery configuration and an expanded operable configuration in which the stent frame is cylindrical, the stent frame comprising:
• an expandable region comprising multiple rows of cells including a first row of cells at the inflow end;
• a cusp region comprising a row of cusp region cells at the outflow end, wherein a plurality of cusp struts define a proximal end of the row of cusp region cells;
• and
• a plurality of commissural posts, wherein a proximal portion of each commissural post extends proximally from a juncture of two cusp struts of the plurality of cusp struts;
• and
• a valve member material made of collagen-based biomaterial attached to the stent frame and comprising:
• (i) a plurality of U-shaped leaflets that are molded and cross-linked to retain a three-dimensional shape and (ii) commissural regions between adjacent U-shaped leaflets of the plurality of U-shaped leaflets,
• wherein the commissural regions of the valve member material are sutured directly to the proximal portion of each commissural post, and
• wherein an inflow end of the valve member material is defined by curved edges of the plurality of U-shaped leaflets that are sutured to the stent frame at the expandable region.