Prosthetic heart valve and method

A prosthetic heart valve, comprising:

• an annular support frame comprising a nickel-titanium, shape memory alloy, the support frame being radially collapsible and radially expandable, the support frame having an inflow end and an outflow end;
• a plurality of longitudinally rigid support bar portions of fixed length, the entire length of each support bar portion mounted radially inwardly of the support frame and longitudinally positioned between the inflow end and the outflow end of the support frame, each support bar portion provided with a plurality of preformed bores, the support bar portions arranged in pairs of support bars, the pairs of support bars being circumferentially spaced apart from each other along an inner surface of the support frame;
• and
• a valve assembly comprising a tubular conduit disposed within the annular support frame, the conduit comprising three pericardium leaflets each comprising opposing ends, each end being paired with an adjacent end of an adjacent leaflet to form commissures of the valve assembly, each pair of adjacent ends of the leaflets being secured to a respective pair of support bars by stitching that extends through the ends of the leaflets and the bores of the support bars;
• whereby, when flow is allowed to pass through the prosthetic valve from an inlet to an outlet, the valve assembly is kept in an open position, whereas a reverse flow is prevented as collapsible slack portions of the valve assembly between the support bars collapse inwardly providing blockage to the reverse flow.