Hybrid Prosthetic Heart Valves

Improving features of implantable medical devices, such as prosthetic heart valves, for implantation, function, and explant. The valves have skirts with inner thromboresistant sections and outer tissue ingrowth-allowing sections. The inner section prevents thrombosis, while the outer section promotes tissue attachment. The skirt is also bioresorbable and can be separated during implant removal. The valves can also have bioresorbable couplers between the skirt and leaflets. This allows tissue growth while the valve is implanted,and then the couplers dissolve for easy explant. The skirt can also be porous for tissue ingrowth.

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Self-expanding replacement mitral valve that can be delivered minimally invasively and has improved flexibility for implantation in the complex mitral valve anatomy. The valve has a separate ventricular anchor, central portion, and atrial anchor that expand radially. The atrial anchor has an annular frame with apertures aligned with central portion apertures. Couplers extend through the aligned apertures and are plastically deformed to secure the central portion and frame. This allows separate expansion and flexibility of the ventricular and atrial anchors while maintaining valve integrity. The valve also has struts connecting the central portion to the leaflets.

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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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A low-profile prosthetic mitral valve replacement device that can be delivered transcatheterly and anchored to the native mitral annulus without enlarging the implant size. The device has a partially elliptical upper stent portion for annulus anchoring and a smaller fish mouth-shaped lower portion with a mobile prosthetic leaflet. The lower portion is suspended near the native valve coaptation line. The leaflet coapts with the native anterior leaflet during systole, then moves in diastole to allow flow. Channels prevent leakage between posterior leaflets. The lower portion's smaller size allows crimping for delivery.

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Prosthetic heart valve design that allows the valve to self-expand to its functional size after implantation without requiring a balloon or other external expansion method. The valve has leaflets with a height difference between the attachment edge and the free edge. The upper material portion connecting the free edge provides relaxation that allows the leaflet edges to extend radially when the commissures form, avoiding gaps and ensuring apposition. The height difference also allows the free edges to separate during diastole. This self-expanding design enables radial compression for delivery and reduces pressure gradients compared to crimped valves.

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Collapsible transcatheter heart valve with a single flexible leaflet made of biocompatible tissue like pericardium. The leaflet has a body that can flex between open and closed positions, with a separate extension integral to the body. This allows the leaflet to move independently from the frame during valve closure, reducing stress concentrations compared to fixed leaflets. The flexible leaflet design provides improved durability for single leaflet valves by distributing closing forces over the leaflet area instead of concentrating them on a single point.

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Valve prosthesis for heart replacement that adapts to various anatomical structures to improve fit and reduce leakage. The prosthesis has a detachable valve annulus that can be customized to match the patient's native annulus shape. The valve frame connects to the annulus using a snap-fit mechanism. This allows the annulus to be 3D printed separately based on imaging of the patient's native annulus for a better fit. The detachable connection allows optimal annulus shape without compromising valve performance.

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Prosthetic heart valves with reinforced leaflets for improved durability during implantation and expansion. The leaflets have a cusp edge reinforcement structure attached along the edge. This reinforcement includes reinforcing members on opposing major surfaces of the leaflet. The leaflets are sewn to the frame at the cusp edge using the reinforcing members. This prevents excessive stretching and deformation of the leaflets during implantation and expansion. The reinforced leaflets provide enhanced structural integrity compared to traditional un-reinforced leaflets.

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Artificial heart valve design with improved durability and reduced calcification compared to traditional valves. The valve has a unique fixation mechanism for the leaflets to attach to the stent. The stent has a walled groove that the leaflets pass through and connect to. This allows evenly fixing the leaflets to the stent without wrinkles. This reduces stress concentration and calcification compared to sewing the leaflets to the stent. The smooth leaflet attachment prevents tears and calcification from blood flow impact.

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An implant to improve coaptation of atrioventricular valves to prevent prolapse and leaking. The implant has a prosthetic leaflet secured to a support structure that holds a portion of the valve annulus. Retention means prevent prolapse by engaging from below the prosthetic leaflet. The support structure has ribs extending perpendicularly from a perforated backbone element. This provides a stable implant that avoids additional structures like retention arms inside the ventricle. The ribs and frame prevent flexing of the prosthetic leaflet during valve motion.

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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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Prosthetic heart valve design with reduced contact between the valve supports and the balloon of a delivery catheter when compressing the valve for implantation. The valve has a collapsible frame with angled supports. The leaflets have connecting skirts with central portions and base portions. The skirts attach the leaflet edges to the frame supports. This configuration allows the leaflet cusps to fold into the frame instead of directly contacting the balloon when compressing the valve for delivery. An external sealing member around the frame further isolates the leaflet edges from the balloon.

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A simplified hybrid prosthetic heart valve design for easier assembly and reduced labor hours, that facilitates valve-in-valve deployment and reduces manufacturing complexity. The valve has a expandable frame at the inflow end that can be compressed for delivery. The expandable frame can plastically expand when subjected to sufficient force, allowing post-implant expansion. This avoids the need for an overall expandable frame. The inflow stent provides anchoring while allowing valve-in-valve. The outflow stent is compressible to reduce size during delivery.

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A prosthetic heart valve design with improved sealing and lower profile for minimally invasive implantation. The valve has a collapsible frame with a valve structure inside. The leaflets have features like folded tabs and connecting skirts to allow blood flow between the frame and unattached edges. A sealing member covers the frame openings between leaflets but leaves gaps facing the outflow surfaces to allow retrograde flow. This prevents leakage while reducing profile during crimping.

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Prosthetic heart valve with improved commissural support to prevent leaflet wear and failure. The valve has a collapsible frame with angled commissure attachment struts that allow the leaflets to open without contacting the frame. This prevents rubbing and wear on the leaflet edges. The struts deflect inward during initial implantation and then stay in position during valve cycles. The spaced inner commissures and deflecting struts prevent leaflet-frame contact during operation.

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Transcatheter heart valve replacement prosthesis with improved performance and reduced calcification compared to conventional valves. The prosthesis has an expandable frame with the valve components mounted externally on the outer surface instead of internally on the lumen side. This reduces inflammation and calcification since the frame doesn't contact the native heart tissue. The external valve attachment allows a larger outer diameter when expanded compared to the frame diameter. The external mounting also enables leaflet design with openings between posts to allow leaflet motion in the lumen.

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A prosthetic tricuspid valve that can be implanted in a native tricuspid valve without direct attachment to the annulus or chordae tendineae. The valve has asymmetrical support structures that grasp the native leaflets and allow the prosthetic valve to move with the native valve during the cardiac cycle. This biodynamic design preserves native annulus motion and prevents issues like heart block. The valve has leaflets, covers, and arms that attach to the native leaflets and surround the native annulus.

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Prosthetic heart valves with improved sealing and anchoring for minimally invasive implantation. The valves have features like anchors that extend over and couple to the native valve leaflets, sealing prongs that reduce flow around the valve, and adjustable outer diameters for better conformance to non-circular annuli. The valves also have methods like retaining native leaflets between outer and inner anchors, sealing against recesses, and extending anchors over distal tips. This aims to prevent paravalvular leakage and provide secure and atraumatic implantation in irregular anatomy.

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Implanting a prosthetic valve within a heart valve. The implant includes a plurality of prosthetic valve leaflets, a valve frame configured to support the plurality of prosthetic valve leaflets, and a plurality of elongate anchor arms each having a first end portion coupled to the valve frame and each configured to extend radially outward from the valve frame to a second end portion that is configured to anchor to an interior surface of the heart valve.

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A heart valve prosthesis designed to minimize regurgitation when implanted in a native mitral valve with high ellipticity. The prosthetic valve component has shaped leaflets that coapt fully when deployed in the frame to prevent central leakage. The leaflet shape is determined by a ratio of free edge length to frame inner diameter. The leaflets have slightly raised midpoints and gradual height transitions to ensure full contact when closed. This prevents regurgitation without sacrificing low profile.

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