Double-leaf heart valve prosthesis

摘要

A double-leaf heart valve prosthesis has an essentially circular valve ring (20) whose internal circumference (21) delimits a flow channel (24) for the blood flow, as well as two essentially crescent-shaped valve leaves (50, 70) which are each arranged so as to be pivotable independently of one another on a common shaft (90). These two valve leaves (50, 70) may assume - as a function of the direction of blood flow - an open position essentially perpendicular to the plane (44) of the valve ring or a closed position essentially in the direction of the plane (44) of the valve ring in which the two valve leaves (50, 70) almost completely seal the flow channel (24) with their combined surfaces. In order to offer the surgeon an additional option for influencing the flow conditions it is envisaged that the shaft (90) be located eccentrically, that is to say in parallel with and at a distance from a circular diameter on the valve ring (20) and that one valve leaf (70) has a larger surface area than the other valve leaf (50). The valve leaf (70) which has the larger surface area can preferably seal about 55 to 80% of the flow channel cross-section (25) and the valve leaf (50) having the smaller surface area can preferably seal about 45 to 20% of the flow channel cross-section (25).