PROSTHETIC HEART VALVE FRAME WITH FLEXIBLE COMMISSURES

摘要

A prosthetic heart valve can include a valve frame having a wireform portion and a stent portion. The wireform and stent portions can be undetachably coupled together via a plurality of upright struts so as to form a one-piece prosthetic heart valve frame. Alternatively, a self-expanding wireform portion and a balloon-expandable stent portion can be coupled together via one or more leaflets and a subassembly having a flexible leaflet support stent and a sealing ring. The wireform portion can include cusps and commissures configured to support a plurality of leaflets. The prosthetic valve can be radially collapsible for minimally invasive and/or transcatheter delivery techniques. Disclosed embodiments can also provide flexion of the wireform portion (e.g., of the commissures) in response to physiologic pulsatile loading when the valve is implanted in a patient's native valve annulus. Methods of making and using prosthetic heart valves are also disclosed.