Replacement heart valve implant system

A replacement heart valve system, comprising:

• a replacement heart valve implant, comprising:
• an expandable framework configured to shift between a radially collapsed configuration and a radially expanded configuration;
• and
• a plurality of valve leaflets secured to the expandable framework;
• wherein the expandable framework comprises a tubular wall including a plurality of interconnected struts, a plurality of upper crowns extending downstream from downstreammost intersections of the plurality of interconnected struts, and a plurality of lower crowns extending upstream from upstreammost intersections of the plurality of interconnected struts;
• wherein the plurality of lower crowns comprises a bend line extending circumferentially around a central longitudinal axis of the expandable framework through each lower crown, the bend line being disposed upstream of the upstreammost intersections of the plurality of interconnected struts and downstream of an upstreammost extent of the plurality of lower crowns;
• and
• an implant delivery system, comprising:
• a handle;
• and
• an elongate shaft assembly extending distally from the handle, wherein a distal portion of the elongate shaft assembly includes an implant holding portion configured to engage with the replacement heart valve implant in the radially collapsed configuration.

A method of loading a replacement heart valve implant into a replacement heart valve system, comprising:

• positioning a replacement heart valve implant adjacent an implant holding portion of an implant delivery system, the replacement heart valve implant comprising:
• an expandable framework configured to shift between a radially collapsed configuration and a radially expanded configuration;
• and
• a plurality of valve leaflets secured to the expandable framework;
• wherein the expandable framework comprises a tubular wall including a plurality of interconnected struts, a plurality of upper crowns extending downstream from downstreammost intersections of the plurality of interconnected struts, and a plurality of lower crowns extending upstream from upstreammost intersections of the plurality of interconnected struts;
• wherein the plurality of lower crowns comprises a bend line extending circumferentially around a central longitudinal axis of the expandable framework through each lower crown, the bend line being disposed upstream of the upstreammost intersections of the plurality of interconnected struts and downstream of an upstreammost extent of the plurality of lower crowns;
• positioning the plurality of lower crowns surrounding a stent holder of the implant delivery system;
• radially collapsing the expandable framework to the radially collapsed configuration such that the plurality of lower crowns extends into a groove extending circumferentially in an outer surface of the stent holder;
• and
• shifting the implant holding portion of the implant delivery system over the replacement heart valve implant to a closed configuration.