Prosthetic heart valve, prosthetic heart valve assembly and method for making same

A method of forming a prosthetic heart valve, comprising the steps of:

• providing a first plate having a first side from which at least one leaflet mold extends and a planar portion adjacent to the one leaflet mold and having a thickness,
• wherein the planar portion comprises multiple access holes through its thickness through which fluid can flow and wherein the at least one leaflet mold comprises a convex outer surface;
• positioning a sheet of material over the convex surface of each of the leaflet molds and at least a portion of the planar portion of the first plate;
• providing a second plate comprising at least one mold opening and a planar portion adjacent to the at least one mold opening and having a thickness, wherein each mold opening is sized and shaped to correspond with one of the leaflet molds of the first plate, and wherein the planar portion comprises multiple access holes through its thickness through which fluid can flow;
• positioning the second plate relative to the first plate and sheet of material so that the portion of the sheet of material that covers each of the leaflet molds of the first plate extends at least partially through one of the mold openings of the second plate.