| 主权项 |
1. A method of forming a replacement heart valve that is implantable to a patient, comprising the steps of:
providing a continuous tubular segment of mammalian elastic material having a first end portion and an opposite, second end portion, a first interior surface, a first exterior surface, a longitudinal axis, and a diameter d1; forming a first valve conduit with said tubular segment by folding said first end portion inside-out towards said second end portion, wherein said first end of said tubular segment extends to a first position on said first exterior surface and forms a folded first end portion, said folded first end portion comprising top and bottom layers of said mammalian elastic material, said first folded end portion further having an axial distance d2 that is substantially equals to d1; forming a plurality of cusps on said folded first end portion, wherein a second valve conduit is formed, said second valve conduit having a second interior surface and a second exterior surface, said plurality of cusps extending axially on said folded first end portion, said plurality of cusps being formed solely by stitching said top and bottom folded first end portion layers along substantially parallel lines that correspond to said longitudinal axis; and inverting said second valve conduit inside-out, wherein said second exterior surface and said second interior surface of said second valve conduit exchange geometric positions. |
