Percutaneously Deliverable Heart Valve and Methods Associated Therewith

An assembly configured for replacing an aortic or pulmonary heart valve in a human patient, comprising:

• a transcatheter, prosthetic aortic or pulmonary heart valve, including:
• a frame that is expandable and collapsible;
• and
• a tissue leaflet assembly sutured directly to the frame, wherein the tissue leaflet assembly includes three substantially dry leaflets, wherein a treated mammalian pericardial tissue used to form the three substantially dry leaflets has been treated with glutaraldehyde and glycerol, and wherein the treated mammalian pericardial tissue used to form the three substantially dry leaflets has a thickness of between about 50 to 300 μm;
• a percutaneously insertable valve delivery mechanism, wherein the transcatheter, prosthetic aortic or pulmonary heart valve is releasably and coaxially mounted onto a balloon catheter of the percutaneously insertable valve delivery mechanism, wherein the balloon catheter has a size of 12 to 14 French, and wherein the balloon catheter includes a guidewire lumen;
• and
• a sterile package containing the transcatheter, prosthetic aortic or pulmonary heart valve that is releasably and coaxially mounted onto the balloon catheter.