Artificial valved conduits for cardiac reconstructive procedures and methods for their production

Abstract

Artificial heart valve structures and methods of their fabrication are disclosed. The heart valve structures may be fabricated from a biocompatible polymer and include one or more heart valve leaflet structures incorporated within a conduit. The valve structures may incorporate one or more conduit sinuses, as well as a gap between the lower margin of the valve leaflets and the interior of the conduit. In addition, the valve structures may include one or more valve sinuses created in a space between the valve leaflets and the conduit inner surface. Computational fluid dynamics and mechanical modeling may be used to design the valve leaflets with optimal characteristics. A heart valve structure may also incorporate a biodegradable component to which cells may adhere. The incorporated cells may arise from patient cells migrating to the biodegradable component, or the component may be pre-seeded with cells prior to implantation in a patient.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.