Tri-leaflet all carbon heart valve
AssigneeCarbomedics, Inc.
InventorMonti R. Gourley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tri-leaflet heart valve wherein the leaflets have supporting ears adapted to slide in curved tracks provided in an annular body. The leaflets ears are further supported and guided by conical-segment surfaces adjacent the curved grooves. A common stop between two grooves for adjacent leaflets limits the motion of the leaflets as the valve closes. Posts between opposed grooves for each leaflet arrest the motion of a leaflet if the leaflets are closing simultaneously closed position. Each leaflet comprises a substantially planar surface with a central vertex where all three leaflets meet in closed position. Edges of the leaflets adjacent the curved grooves are canted up-stream and are scalloped to form ears which slide in the curved grooves.
Claims12
A tri-leaflet prosthetic heart valve comprising
- an annular body having an inner surface and being disposed around a central axis;
- and
- three substantially identical leaflets mounted in said annular body and configured to translate between a closed position impeding blood flow through the valve and an open position permitting blood flow through the valve;
- said annular body having three symmetrically placed pivot structures spaced around an inner surface of said annular body for pivotally supporting said leaflets, each pivot structure having a plane of symmetry containing said central axis and having curved grooves placed on opposing sides of said plane of symmetry, each groove having a convex edge adjacent said plane of symmetry, a concave edge spaced away from said convex edge, and a curved surface segment adjacent said concave edge;
- and
- each of said leaflets having opposed ears for slidingly engaging said curved grooves and a concave edge adjacent each of said ears for slidingly engaging said curved surface segment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.