HYBRID HEART VALVES ADAPTED FOR POST-IMPLANT EXPANSION

摘要

A hybrid prosthetic heart valve configured to replace a native heart valve and having a support frame configured to be expanded post implant in order to receive and/or support an expandable prosthetic heart valve therein (a valve-in-valve procedure). The prosthetic heart valve may be configured to have a generally rigid and/or expansion-resistant configuration when initially implanted to replace a native valve (or other prosthetic heart valve), but to assume a generally expanded form when subjected to an outward force such as that provided by a dilation balloon or other mechanical expander. An inflow stent frame is expandable for anchoring the valve in place, and may have an outflow end that is collapsible for delivery and expandable post-implant to facilitate a valve-in-valve procedure.

主权项

1. A hybrid prosthetic heart valve adapted for post-implant expansion and having an inflow end and an outflow end, comprising:
a valve member including an inner structural support stent having upstanding commissure posts extending in the outflow direction alternating with arcuate inflow cusps, and an inflow end undulating up and down corresponding to the commissure posts and cusps, the support stent defining an implant circumference that is non-compressible in normal physiological use and has a first diameter, and wherein the support stent permits expansion from the first diameter to a second diameter larger than the first diameter upon application of an outward dilatory force from within the support stent substantially larger than forces associated with normal physiological use, and a plurality of flexible leaflets attached along the commissure posts and inflow cusps of the support stent and configured to ensure one-way blood flow therethrough; and a plastically-expandable inflow stent frame secured to and projecting from an inflow end of the support stent and having a strength requiring a predetermined expansion force to convert to an expanded state, and wherein an outflow end of the stent frame undulates with peaks and valleys to at least partially conform to the inflow end of the support stent, and further wherein the outflow end has limited radially compressibility to enable compression of the stent frame during delivery of the heart valve.