Method of producing a closing member having flexible closing elements, especially a heart valve

A method of producing a closing member for controlling the flow of a fluid, said closing member having an annular housing through which the fluid flows and at least one closing element joined to the housing, said closing element being movable between an open quasi-stable end position in which fluid flow is permitted and a closed quasi-stable end position in which the closing element blocks the flow of fluid, said closing element being formed as a sail-like closing element, the curvature of which changes during movement between the open and closed end positions, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing an annular housing, the circumference of which is greater than the circumference of the housing when in a normal condition;
• forming the closing element as a substantially two-dimensional element;
• joining the closing element to the housing while the housing has the greater circumference;
• and
• thereafter applying force to the housing to reduce the circumference of the housing to the normal condition,
• whereby the joinder of the closing element to the housing while the latter has the greater circumference enables the closing element to assume the two quasi-stable end positions when the housing is in its normal condition.

A method of producing an artificial heart valve for controlling the flow of blood, said artificial heart valve having an annular housing through which the blood flows in a flow direction, said artificial heart valve having a plurality of closing elements joined to the housing, said closing elements being movable between an open quasi-stable end position in which blood flow is permitted and a closed quasi-stable end position in which the closing elements block the flow of blood, said closing elements being formed as sail-like closing elements, the curvature of which changes during movement between the open and closed end positions, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing an annular housing for the heart valve having a base and a plurality of circumferentially spaced posts extending from the base in the flow direction;
• placing the housing on a mandrel for circumferentially expanding the annular housing from a normal condition;
• dipping the mandrel and housing in a polyethylene material to form the closing elements as substantially two-dimensional elements on shaping surfaces provided on the mandrel and to join the closing elements to the housing while the housing is in the expanded condition;
• and
• thereafter removing the housing and closing elements from the mandrel to allow the housing to circumferentially contract to the normal condition,
• whereby the joinder of the closing elements to the housing while the latter is in the expanded condition enables the closing elements to assume the two quasi-stable end positions when the housing is in its normal condition.