US 11,717,401 B2
Prosthetic heart valve assembly
Stanton J. Rowe, Newport Coast, CA (US); Mark Chau, Aliso Viejo, CA (US); and Son V. Nguyen, Irvine, CA (US)
Assigned to EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION, Irvine, CA (US)
Filed by Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, Irvine, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/203,611.
Application 17/203,611 is a continuation of application No. 16/238,344, filed on Jan. 2, 2019, granted, now 10,952,846.
Application 16/238,344 is a continuation of application No. 15/683,611, filed on Aug. 22, 2017, granted, now 10,617,520, issued on Apr. 14, 2020.
Application 15/683,611 is a continuation of application No. 14/584,903, filed on Dec. 29, 2014, granted, now 10,226,334, issued on Mar. 12, 2019.
Application 14/584,903 is a continuation of application No. 13/660,875, filed on Oct. 25, 2012, abandoned.
Application 13/660,875 is a continuation of application No. 12/113,418, filed on May 1, 2008, abandoned.
Prior Publication US 2021/0196457 A1, Jul. 1, 2021
Int. Cl. A61F 2/24 (2006.01); A61F 2/848 (2013.01); A61L 27/50 (2006.01); A61F 2/90 (2013.01); A61L 27/36 (2006.01); A61B 17/04 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 2/2418 (2013.01) [A61F 2/2427 (2013.01); A61F 2/2436 (2013.01); A61F 2/2454 (2013.01); A61F 2/90 (2013.01); A61L 27/3625 (2013.01); A61L 27/50 (2013.01); A61B 17/0401 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00243 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0417 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0496 (2013.01); A61F 2/2457 (2013.01); A61F 2210/0014 (2013.01); A61F 2220/0008 (2013.01); A61F 2220/0016 (2013.01); A61F 2230/0054 (2013.01); A61F 2230/0067 (2013.01); A61F 2230/0078 (2013.01); A61F 2250/0039 (2013.01); A61L 2430/20 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A prosthetic heart valve assembly comprising:
a radially self-expandable stent made from a shape memory material, wherein the stent comprises a flared upper portion defining an inlet end of the stent, a lower portion defining an outlet end of the stent, and an intermediate portion between the upper and lower portions, the stent having a passageway extending therethrough, wherein an entire extent of the stent downstream of the inlet end has a smaller diameter than a diameter of the inlet end, the stent further comprising a plurality of prongs disposed along an outer surface thereof;
wherein the prongs are arranged in a plurality of rows of prongs, each row comprising a plurality of prongs that are circumferentially spaced from each other, wherein the rows are spaced from each other in a direction extending along a length of the stent and wherein all of the prongs have tips pointing toward the inlet end; and
a valve portion positioned in the passageway, wherein the valve portion comprises a plurality of leaflets that permit the flow of the blood through the prosthetic heart valve assembly in a direction from the inlet end to the outlet end and block the flow of blood in the opposite direction;
wherein the prosthetic heart valve assembly is configured to be retained in a radially compressed state within a delivery catheter and radially self-expand to a radially expanded state when deployed from the delivery catheter;
wherein the prosthetic heart valve assembly is configured such that when the prosthetic heart valve assembly is deployed within a native heart valve between an atrium and a ventricle of the heart, the prongs can penetrate surrounding tissue for preventing upward migration of the prosthetic heart valve assembly toward the atrium and the flared upper portion can contact a supra-annular surface of an annulus of the native valve to prevent downward migration of the prosthetic heart valve assembly toward the ventricle.