Natural tissue heart valve and stent prosthesis and method for making the same

A method of making a heart valve prosthesis comprising:

• excising a plurality of leaflets from at least one heart valve, each said leaflet including a valve wall and a cusp, each leaflet valve wall having a pair of generally opposed side edges an inflow edge and an outflow edge, each said cusp attached to and extending from a respective said valve wall proximal said inflow edge;
• attaching each said leaflet to an adjacent pair of said leaflets along the respective said valve wall side edges such that there is substantial coaptation between said leaflets, with each said attachment between respective said side edges of adjacent leaflets defining a commissure post distal said inflow end of said prosthesis;
• attaching said composite heart valve prosthesis within a stent having an inflow end, an outflow end, an annular base portion proximal said stent inflow end, a plurality of posts integral therewith that extend from said base in a generally parallel and spaced apart relation that generally corresponds to the circumferential positioning of said cusps, said stent further including a generally nonabsorbent textile material covering at least a portion thereof, such that said inflow end of said valve is positioned adjacent said inflow end of said stent with said outflow end of said valve proximal said outflow end of said stent, each said stent post includes an exterior portion;
• and
• attaching a support to said exterior portion of said at least one said stent post and to the exterior of said flange to inhibit inward deflection of said supported stent post.

A natural tissue heart valve prosthesis comprising:

• a natural tissue heart valve having three leaflet cusps, with said valve having an inflow end and an outflow end;
• a stent having an inflow end, an outflow end, a generally annular base portion proximal said stent inflow end, with an implantation flange attached to and circumscribing said stent base portion, and at least three generally elongated stent posts extending from said stent base portion in a generally parallel and spaced apart relation that generally corresponds to the position of said valve cusps, each said stent post terminating in a stent post tip, said stent having interior and exterior portions and a sidewall thickness of less than about 1.0 mm, and said heart valve being attached within said stent, such that said valve inflow end is positioned adjacent said stent inflow end and said valve outflow end is positioned proximal said stent posts;
• and
• a support attached to said exterior of at least one of said stent posts and the exterior of said implantation flange to inhibit inward deflection of said at least one stent post.

A natural tissue heart valve prosthesis comprising:

• a natural tissue heart valve having three leaflet cusps, with said valve having an inflow end and an outflow end;
• a stent having an inflow end, an outflow end, a generally annular base portion proximal said stent inflow end, with an implantation flange attached to and circumscribing said stent base portion, and at least three generally elongated stent posts extending from said stent base portion in a generally parallel and spaced apart relation that generally corresponds to the position of said valve cusps, with each said stent post terminating a stent post tip, said stent having interior and exterior portions and a sidewall thickness of less than about 1.0 mm, and with said heart valve being attached within said stent, such that said valve inflow end is positioned adjacent said stent inflow end and said valve outflow end is positioned proximal said stent posts;
• and
• a support attached to said exterior of at least one of said stent posts to inhibit inward deflection of said at least one stent post, said support comprising a textile material.