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 |
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.
|