# US 2014/0155995 A1 · Prosthetic heart valve > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0155995 A1 - Document ID: US20140155995A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/001,162 - Filed: 2012-02-24 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2011-02-25 - Assignees: University of Connecticut - Inventors: Wei Sun; Eric Sirois; Thuy Minh Pham; Kewei Li - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140155995A1 ## CPC - A61F 2/2418: {Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents} - A61F 2/2412: {with soft flexible valve members, e.g. tissue valves shaped like natural valves} - A61F 2/2454: {Means for preventing inversion of the valve leaflets, e.g. chordae tendineae prostheses} - A61F 2/2457: {Chordae tendineae prostheses} - A61F 2230/005: Rosette-shaped, e.g. star-shaped - 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 A prosthetic heart valve having a stent, a plurality of leaflets positioned within the stent, and a suspension assembly coupled to the leaflets and the stent. The suspension assembly includes a central support structure that is spaced from the plurality of leaflets in the direction of blood flow. A plurality of elongate suspension members are secured to the central support structure, and at least one elongate suspension member is secured to each leaflet of the valve, thereby providing mechanical reinforcement for the leaflets. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A prosthetic heart valve for implantation into a selected channel within the heart of a subject, wherein blood flows through the selected channel in a flow direction, the prosthetic heart valve comprising: a stent having an inner surface, the inner surface of the stent defining an interior region of the stent; a plurality of leaflets positioned within the interior region of the stent, each leaflet of the plurality of leaflets defining a free edge, an attachment edge, and a pair of spaced commissure regions, the attachment edge of each leaflet being attached to the stent such that each commissure region of each respective leaflet is positioned proximate a commissure region of an adjacent leaflet; and a suspension assembly comprising: a central support structure coupled to the stent such that the central support structure is spaced from the plurality of leaflets in the flow direction; and a plurality of elongate suspension members secured thereto the central support structure, at least one suspension member of the plurality of suspension members being secured thereto each respective leaflet, wherein, following implantation of the prosthetic heart valve within the selected channel, the suspension assembly is configured to mechanically reinforce the plurality of leaflets. ### Claim at position 2 2-3. (canceled) ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve of claim 1, wherein the stent is radially collapsible and expandable to an expanded configuration. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The prosthetic heart valve of claim 4, wherein the plurality of leaflets and the suspension assembly are radially collapsible and expandable with the stent. ### Claim at position 5 6-8. (canceled) ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The prosthetic heart valve of claim 4, wherein the stent comprises a shape-memory material that is configured to expand the stent into the expanded configuration, wherein, in the expanded configuration, the inner surface of the stent defines a desired cross-sectional profile. ### Claim 10 (depends on 4) The prosthetic heart valve of claim 4, further comprising a lining skirt positioned within the interior space of the stent, wherein the attachment edge of each leaflet is attached to the stent through the lining skirt, wherein the central support structure of the suspension assembly is coupled to the stent through the lining skirt, and wherein the lining skirt is radially collapsible and expandable with the stent. ### Claim at position 8 11-13. (canceled) ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve of claim 1, wherein at least one leaflet of the plurality of leaflets has a substantially different size than another leaflet of the plurality of leaflets. ### Claim at position 10 15-16. (canceled) ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the central support structure is uniformly spaced from the inner surface of the stent and at least a portion of the central support structure is directly secured to the stent. ### Claim 18 (canceled) ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the central support structure is coupled to the stent by at least one connecting member and at least a portion of the central support structure is directly secured to the stent. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve of claim 1, wherein the central support structure comprises a plurality of offset support members spaced circumferentially about the inner surface of the valve such that each support member of the plurality of support members spans between two points on the inner surface of the valve and overlaps with at least one other support member at an intersection point. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The prosthetic heart valve of claim 20, wherein each suspension member of the plurality of suspension members is secured to the central support structure at an intersection point. ### Claim at position 16 22-25. (canceled) ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve of claim 1, wherein the support assembly comprises at least one sub-structure that extends from the central support member to a point on the stent that is spaced from the central support structure in a direction opposite the flow direction. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve of claim 1, wherein at least one suspension member of the plurality of suspension members is secured to each commissure region of at least one leaflet of the plurality of leaflets. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve of claim 1, wherein at least one suspension member of the plurality of suspension members is secured to the free edge of at least one leaflet of the plurality of leaflets. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve of claim 1, wherein each leaflet of the plurality of leaflets defines a belly region positioned therebetween the free edge, the attachment edge, and the commissure regions of the leaflet, and wherein at least one suspension member of the plurality of suspension members is secured to the belly region of at least one leaflet. ### Claim 30 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve of claim 1, wherein, following implantation of the prosthetic heart valve within the selected channel of the heart of the subject, at least one suspension member of the plurality of elongate suspension members is configured to be angularly oriented relative to the free edge of the leaflet of the plurality of leaflets to which it is attached. ### Claim 31 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve of claim 1, wherein, following implantation of the prosthetic heart valve within the selected channel of the heart of the subject, at least one suspension member of the plurality of elongate suspension members is configured to be substantially perpendicularly oriented relative to the free edge of the leaflet of the plurality of leaflets to which it is attached. ### Claim 32 (canceled) ### Claim 33 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve of claim 1, wherein the free edge of at least one leaflet of the plurality of leaflets comprises an extended edge portion that, following implantation of the prosthetic heart valve within the selected chamber of the heart of the subject, is configured to project from the leaflet in the flow direction, and wherein at least one suspension member of the plurality of suspension members is secured to the extended edge portion of the at least one leaflet of the plurality of leaflets. ### Claim 34 (canceled) ### Claim 35 (depends on 1) The prosthetic heart valve of claim 1, wherein the plurality of suspension members are secured to the central support structure at a plurality of attachment points, and wherein the plurality of attachment points are substantially positioned within a common plane when the prosthetic heart valve is in an unloaded state. ### Claim 36 A prosthetic heart valve for implantation into a selected channel within the heart of a subject, wherein blood flows through the selected channel in a flow direction, the prosthetic heart valve comprising: a stent having an inner surface, the inner surface of the stent defining an interior region of the stent; a plurality of leaflets positioned within the interior region of the stent, each leaflet of the plurality of leaflets defining a free edge, an attachment edge, and a pair of spaced commissure regions, the attachment edge of each leaflet being attached to the collapsible stent such that each commissure region of each respective leaflet is positioned proximate a commissure region of an adjacent leaflet; a central support structure operatively coupled to the stent and the plurality of leaflets such that the central support structure is spaced from the plurality of leaflets in the flow direction, at least a portion of the central support structure being spaced from the inner surface of the stent; and means coupled to the central support structure for increasing the durability of the plurality of leaflets. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The prosthetic heart valve of claim 36, wherein the means coupled to the central support structure for increasing the durability of the plurality of leaflets comprises: a plurality of elongate suspension members secured thereto the central support structure, at least one suspension member of the plurality of suspension members being secured thereto each respective leaflet, wherein, following implantation of the prosthetic heart valve within the selected channel, the central support structure and the plurality of elongate suspension members are configured to mechanically reinforce the plurality of leaflets.