Frame support for cardiac tissue valves

摘要

A frame support for a cardiac tissue valve is provided of the type including a hollow, substantially cylindrical body composed of a semi-flexible structure of a material such as polypropylene, covered by a medical grade fabric. The frame support defines two fully opposite ends or entrances, to the edge of which are sewed the aortic ring and the remaining portions of the resected sinuses of Valsalva including the commissural areas of the aortic wall of an animal valve, such as a porcine valve. The frame further includes an outer-widening or suture ring which defines a continuous ridge of the same fabric material. The frame has a wavy or scalloped proximal end and a distal end; the proximal end having a number of cusps corresponding to the number of commissures of the valve supported thereby. The maximum height of the cusps or crests of the wavy edge of the proximal end is in the range of a sixth of the maximum distance between both ends of the support frame; the distal end has supporting arms alternately spaced from each other by valleys (depths), the magnitude of which is three times the length of the mentioned cusps of the proximal end. The outer-widening or suture ring has a wavy conformation that follows the contour of the supporting arms and the valleys of the distal end. The width of the suture ring, measured parallel to the frame, from its distal point in the outer surface of the supporting arm to the depth of the valleys (FIG. 2-"h"), is of a magnitude similar to half the distance of the total height of the support frame.