Methods of making a prosthetic valve with a durable high strength polymer composite leaflet
AssigneeW. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
InventorsWilliam C. Bruchman, Paul D. Gassler, Cody L. Hartman, Peter J. Walsh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods are provided to make a prosthetic valve having a thin, biocompatible, high-strength, composite material. In one aspect, the composite material maintains flexibility in high-cycle flexural applications, making it particularly applicable to high-flex implants such as a heart valve leaflet. The composite material includes a porous expanded fluoropolymer membrane and an elastomer, wherein the elastomer is present in the pores of the porous expanded fluoropolymer.
Claims6
A method of making a prosthetic valve, comprising:
- providing a support structure defining a plurality of posts;
- and
- coupling a leaflet to each of the plurality of posts, each leaflet movable between open and closed positions, each leaflet including at least three layers of a composite material, the composite material including a fluoropolymer layer having a plurality of pores and an elastomer present in the pores of the fluoropolymer layer, the at least three layers of composite material being coupled together with a layer of the elastomer between each of the at least three layers of composite material, a method of making the composite material comprising:
- dissolving an elastomer in a solvent suitable to create a solution to fill the pores of the fluoropolymer layer;
- filling the pores of the fluoropolymer layer;
- and
- allowing the solvent to evaporate so that the elastomer remains in the pores of the fluoropolymer layer.
A method of making a prosthetic valve, comprising:
- providing a support structure defining a plurality of posts;
- and
- coupling a leaflet to each of the plurality of posts, each leaflet movable between open and closed positions, each leaflet including at least three layers of a composite material, the composite material including a fluoropolymer layer having a plurality of pores and an elastomer present in the pores of the fluoropolymer layer, the at least three layers of composite material being coupled together with a layer of the elastomer between each of the at least three layers of composite material,
- a method of making the composite material comprising delivering the elastomer via a dispersion to fill the pores of the fluoropolymer layer.
A method of making a prosthetic valve, comprising:
- providing a support structure defining a plurality of posts;
- and
- coupling a leaflet to each of the plurality of posts, each leaflet movable between open and closed positions, each leaflet including at least three layers of a composite material, the composite material including a fluoropolymer layer having a plurality of pores and an elastomer present in the pores of the fluoropolymer layer, the at least three layers of composite material being coupled together with a layer of the elastomer between each of the at least three layers of composite material,
- a method of making the composite material comprising bringing the at least one fluoropolymer layer into contact with a sheet of the elastomer under conditions of heat and/or pressure that allows the elastomer to fill the pores of the fluoropolymer layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.