Tilting disk heart valve having cavitation reducing contact geometry
AssigneeSulzer Carbomedics Inc.
InventorLouis A. Campbell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heart valve prosthesis includes a valve housing having an opening formed therein having an inmost arcuate surface and a leaflet pivotally mounted in the opening for movement between an open position and a closed position with the inmost arcuate surface. The leaflet has an outmost edge providing multiple points of contact with the housing. The leaflet also forms a leakage gap adjacent the leaflet major radius and between the inmost and outmost surfaces such that the multiple points of contact are displaced from the leaflet major radius and are adjacent to and on opposite sides of the leakage gap. One or several such leaflets may be provided in the housing. Each leaflet respectively includes the leakage gap and the adjacent multiple points of contact.
Claims10
A heart valve prosthesis comprising:
- a valve housing having an opening formed therein, an inlet, an outlet, and an inmost arcuate surface having a first curvature and a generally tubular shape extending from the inlet to the outlet;
- a leaflet pivotally coupled to said valve housing for movement between an open position and a closed position, said leaflet having an upstream surface, a downstream surface, and a peripheral edge comprising a second curvature, different from the first curvature, wherein in said closed position the peripheral edge of the leaflet engages the inmost arcuate surface of the valve housing at multiple points of contact, and provides a leakage gap between the inmost arcuate surface and the peripheral edge of the leaflet.
A pivoting leaflet heart valve prosthesis comprising:
- a valve housing having an opening formed therein, an inlet, an outlet, and an inmost arcuate surface extending from the inlet to the outlet;
- a leaflet pivotally coupled to said valve housing for movement between an open position and a closed position, said leaflet having an upstream surface, a downstream surface, and a peripheral edge, wherein in said closed position the peripheral edge of the leaflet engages the inmost arcuate surface of the valve housing at multiple points of contact between the peripheral edge and the inmost arcuate surface, the multiple points of contact providing a leakage gap having a width of from about 0.001 to about 0.008 inches between said peripheral edge and said inmost arcuate surface.
A method of providing leaflet closure in a heart valve prosthesis comprising the steps of:
- providing a valve housing having an opening formed therein including an inlet, an outlet, and an inmost arcuate surface;
- providing a leaflet having an upstream surface, a downstream surface, and a peripheral edge;
- providing multiple points of contact between the peripheral edge and the inmost arcuate surface;
- providing a leakage gap at the peripheral edge separating the multiple points of contact;
- and
- coupling the leaflet to the valve housing for movement between an open position and a closed position, such that when the peripheral edge engages the inmust surface to provide the multiple points of contact in the closed position, the leakage gap is maintained between the peripheral edge and the inmost arcuate surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.