US 12,004,947 B1
Connecting skirt for attaching a leaflet to a frame of a prosthetic heart valve
Jeanette Jasmine Corona, Anaheim, CA (US); Brendan Michael Dalbow, Huntington Beach, CA (US); and Gil Senesh, Adi (IL)
Assigned to EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION, Irvine, CA (US)
Filed by EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION, Irvine, CA (US)
Filed on May 11, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/316,056.
Application 18/316,056 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2022/012873, filed on Jan. 19, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/139,514, filed on Jan. 20, 2021.
Int. Cl. A61F 2/24 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 2/2415 (2013.01) [A61F 2/2412 (2013.01); A61F 2220/0075 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A prosthetic heart valve comprising:
an annular frame comprising an inflow end and an outflow end and being radially collapsible and expandable between a radially collapsed configuration and a radially expanded configuration, wherein the frame comprises a plurality of struts; and
a valvular structure mounted within the frame and comprising a plurality of leaflets, wherein each leaflet comprises opposing tabs on opposite sides of the leaflet and a cusp edge portion between the tabs;
wherein the cusp edge portion of each leaflet is connected to the frame by a connecting skirt, wherein each connecting skirt comprises a central portion and opposing side base portions on opposite sides of the central portion that are connected to each of and disposed between the frame and the cusp edge portion of the leaflet, and wherein each connecting skirt further comprises side extension portions that extend outward from the cusp edge portion of the leaflet and across struts of the frame that are disposed between cusp edge portions of adjacent leaflets; and
wherein the plurality of struts form a plurality of apices at the inflow end and the outflow end of the frame and wherein each side extension portion of each connecting skirt extends across the struts of the frame that are disposed between cusp edge portions of adjacent leaflets such that an inner surface of each apex of the plurality of apices that are disposed at the inflow end of the frame, between adjacent leaflets, is covered by a corresponding side extension portion of a corresponding connecting skirt.