Collapsible Valves for Prosthetic Heart Implants

Prosthetic heart valve for replacement of a native valve like the aortic valve, designed for transcatheter implantation. The valve has a unique frame shape that engages both the native valve inflow and outflow surfaces. The frame has an inner frame that defines the valve lumen and an outer frame around it. The inner frame struts form double strut pairs converging at proximal junctions. The outer frame struts form multiple strut pairs converging at proximal junctions. These junctions align circumferentially and engage the native valve leaflets. The inner frame engages the inflow surface and the outer frame engages the outflow surface. This provides better anchoring compared to a single frame design.

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Valve frame assembly and artificial heart valve that can be delivered and implanted in a single step without separate components for anchoring. The assembly has a valve frame body that accommodates the artificial leaflets, an anchor to clamp the native valve, and a connecting mechanism that allows radial swing and axial movement between the frame and anchor. This allows the frame to compress during delivery and expand to fix against the native valve, without needing a separate anchoring device. The connecting mechanism allows some swing to compensate for misalignment during implantation.

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Valve frame assembly, artificial heart valve, and replacement system that allows easier and more reliable implantation of artificial heart valves. The assembly has an anchor connected to the valve frame body that expands to clamp the native valve. The anchor has elasticity and is annular when expanded. It has an outer mechanism, multiple extensions, and bases. The valve frame body is accommodated inside the compressed anchor. The outer tube delivery system compresses the anchor and valve frame inside. The anchor is released first by axially moving the outer tube, then the valve frame by moving the inner tube. This allows implanting the entire assembly as a unit.

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Replacement heart valves that can be compacted for delivery and then expand in the body to the desired size without excess expansion that could enlarge the valve annulus. The valves have frames that can foreshorten longitudinally when compacted and then expand when deployed. This allows the frames to reduce diameter without compressing the valve body, preventing annulus enlargement. Features like tethers, rings, and reverse foreshortening anchors constrain frame expansion after deployment.

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Compressible prosthetic heart valve with improved function and reduced risk of thrombus formation. The valve has a sealing feature that partially extends between the inner and outer frames, allowing backpressure to act on it during ventricular systole instead of the valve leaflets. This reduces forces on the inner frame and coupling arms. The sealing feature also prevents blood stagnation and clot formation in partially confined pockets between the frames. An embolism retention member with lower permeability than the sealing feature can be added to fully confine clots.

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Collapsible prosthetic heart valve for replacing the tricuspid valve that has a single expandable frame with a fabric tube suspended inside. The tube allows blood flow and the frame anchors the valve. This eliminates the need for a separate inner frame to support the leaflets. The fabric tube is attached to the frame with sutures and forms the valve without separate leaflets. The tube collapses and expands with the heartbeat.

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Collapsible prosthetic heart valves with sealing members to protect the valve during implantation. The valves have a sealing assembly that completely covers the leaflets at one end when compressed. This assembly forms a pocket between the sealing member and the leaflets. The pocket allows the frame to extend without protruding through the skirt during compression. This prevents valve damage during delivery through narrow catheters. The pocket is formed by folding the inner skirt over itself at the frame end.

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Prosthetic heart valve with non-uniform leaflets that have movable sections and stiffer sections. The valve has a frame that expands and contracts. The leaflets are attached to the frame and have sections that move during valve opening/closing, and stiffer sections. The movable sections allow flexible leaflet motion, while the stiffer sections provide support and prevent excessive leaflet deformation. This reduces stress concentrations and leaflet tears compared to uniform leaflets. The non-uniform leaflets are formed as single continuous pieces. The valve assembly method involves attaching the stiffer sections to the frame while the movable sections are left flexible.

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Heart valve replacement device that can adapt to changing anatomy as the patient grows. The valve has a frame that expands to increase the valve opening size as the patient's vasculature widens. The leaflets move to match the expanded frame. This allows the valve to function effectively in a range of sizes without requiring multiple replacements as the patient grows. The frame segments separate laterally to enlarge the opening while maintaining constant border length. The valve can also have features like struts to maintain shape during expansion.

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A transcatheter heart valve design with a reduced diameter at the inflow end that allows a slimmer profile for easier delivery. The valve frame has a smaller diameter at the inflow end compared to the outflow end. This allows the delivery catheter to push against the outflow end without damaging the leaflets since they don't extend beyond it. The reduced inflow end diameter also provides space for an outer skirt around it. When the valve collapses, the skirt length increases, reducing slack between the inflow and outflow edges.

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Collapsible and expandable prosthetic tricuspid valve that can be delivered through the vasculature in a transcatheter procedure. The valve includes a collapsible and expandable frame that, in an expanded condition, includes a central portion, an atrial portion flaring radially outwardly from the central portion, and a ventricular portion flaring radially outwardly from the central portion.

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Prosthetic heart valve system for transcatheter replacement of the native tricuspid valve. The system has an expandable frame with flared atrial and ventricular portions to clamp the annulus. The frame has inner sheets extending radially inward. A cylindrical leaflet support structure connects the sheets. This forms a central conduit between the sheets. Shunts in the sheets allow blood flow around the leaflets. An occluder seals the shunt initially. A guidewire passes radially outside the conduit for catheter delivery. The shunts and guidewire path avoid obstructing valve leaflet motion.

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Tissue-based replacement heart valve with improved durability and deliverability compared to traditional valves. The valve has a flexible, thin-walled valve body made from tissue layers that attach to a stent. The stent can compact and expand radially for minimally invasive delivery. The valve body is attached at the edges and commissures to the stent, but an inner layer with the leaflets is separate and attaches only at the edges. This prevents stress concentration and seams in the leaflet area. The stent can have a foreshortening section that longitudinally expands/contracts during compression/expansion. This allows the valve body to move longitudinally relative to the stent without stretching or crushing. The valve body can also have a longitudinally stretchable portion that stretches/contracts with the foreshortening. The separate inner and outer layers are

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Prosthetic heart valves with actuator rods that expand and contract the valve frame without exposing the threads to the valve or surrounding tissue. The actuator rods extend partially through posts of the frame, with a threaded portion inside and an unthreaded portion exposed. When the frame is compressed, the threaded portion is fully inside a post. This prevents threads from interacting with the valve leaflets or native tissue during deployment.

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Prosthetic heart valve assembly that can transition between forward and reverse flow configurations to reduce pressure and afterload during heart contractions. The assembly has a movable docking device with a fixed valve between inflow and outflow ends. The valve can slide within the docking device during flow cycles. This allows multiple flow pathways through the assembly during reverse flow, reducing pressure compared to a fixed valve.

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Implantable expandable prosthetic heart valves that isolate the actuators from the bending stresses caused by radial compression of the frame of the prosthetic heart valve assemblies. The valve includes a frame, a valvular structure, an actuation assembly, and a valve.

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Transformable heart valve with a stent and leaflets that can be compressed for delivery and expanded in place during implantation. The valve has a stent with a lumen and a separate valve portion with leaflets. In the compressed state, the leaflets are outside the stent. To implant, the valve is advanced, expanded to engage the annulus, then transitioned by sliding the valve portion into the stent lumen. This avoids separating components during delivery. The stent expands along with the valve.

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A percutaneous prosthetic heart valve with a trileaflet design for minimally invasive replacement of native valves. The valve has a stent frame and a tube of leaflet material encircling the frame. The upper portion of the leaflet tube is partially inside the frame. The leaflets move between open and closed positions within the frame. The leaflets are configured to mimic natural valve action and prevent backward blood flow when closed. The valve aims to provide a durable, long-lasting percutaneous valve replacement option that avoids lifelong anticoagulation therapy and valve degeneration issues of traditional prosthetic valves.

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Prosthetic heart valve and delivery system with improved sealing and delivery capabilities for transcatheter implantation. The prosthetic valve has a collapsible frame, expandable valve, and skirt assembly that seals against the native annulus. The skirt has upper and lower skirts to prevent contact with the valve. When expanded, protruding skirt sections seal gaps. The delivery system has an inner liner made by expanding a polymer tube against a metal sleeve. This allows controlled expansion and contraction without compressing the shaft. It also enables lower profile sheaths for smaller access points.

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A collapsible prosthetic heart valve that can be collapsed for minimally invasive delivery and expands after implantation. The valve has a collapsible stent with a downstream ring connected by flexible struts near the commissures. This prevents the leaflets from contacting the ring. The stent has a serpentine outflow edge with inner and outer rings. The ring has small connections to the outer ring, allowing leaflets to be inserted between them. This configuration reduces impingement, paravalvular leakage, and leaflet abrasion compared to prior designs.

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