Collapsible Valves for Prosthetic Heart Implants

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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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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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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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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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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Expandable heart valve replacement prosthesis with improved longevity and hemodynamic performance compared to existing devices. The prosthesis has an expandable frame with the valve components attached to the outer surface instead of the inner lumen. This prevents the frame from contacting the native heart tissue, reducing inflammation and calcification. The frame design with expandable regions and valve posts allows customization of leaflet size and spacing for optimal flow dynamics. The valve components can be made from biomaterials like polymers, bovine tissue, or pericardium.

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Mechanically expandable heart valve implant and delivery system that allows for controlled, precise, and reversible expansion and locking of the valve frame after deployment. The expandable frame has a guide member and base member connected by wires. The delivery system has a sleeve that can push/pull the guide and base members together to expand the valve diameter. The wires can then twist and lock to maintain expansion. The sleeve can be moved to unlock and compress the valve for retrieval if needed.

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Prosthetic heart valve that can be compressed and expanded for transcatheter delivery. The valve has distal, proximal, and septal subannular anchoring elements to secure it in a native valve annulus. The septal element extends below the annulus to stabilize the valve against rotation. This anchoring configuration allows the valve to be side-loaded into a catheter for delivery instead of fully compressing it radially. It is released from the catheter to expand and anchor in the annulus. The septal element pinning the native leaflet prevents dislodgement.

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Collapsible transcatheter heart valve that can be delivered through a small catheter and expanded inside the heart to replace a diseased valve. The valve has a radially collapsible frame with struts and openings. The valve structure with leaflets is mounted inside the frame. The leaflets have separate flanges and cusp portions connected by reinforcing cords. The cusps flex around the struts while the flanges seal against the frame. This allows compact folding for catheter delivery. The valve expands inside the heart and the leaflets open. The separate flanges prevent leaflet extension through the frame during folding.

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Percutaneously implantable prosthetic heart valves that can be deployed through minimally invasive procedures. The valves use collapsible stents with docking structures that allow percutaneous delivery and expansion in the heart. The stents have flexible wires and posts that can be compressed for delivery on catheters, then expanded and rotated into position. Valves are attached to the stents with features to distribute stress for durability. The delivery systems allow retrieval and repositioning of partially deployed valves.

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Expandable prosthetic heart valve that is relatively simple to manufacture and deliver and that is suitable for operation within a designated range of working diameters. The valve includes an annular frame, which is movable between a radially expanded state and a radially compressed state. The valve includes at least one compliant actuator coupled to the annular frame, a proximal connector head, a distal connector base, and at least one extension spring.

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