Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
275 words
A mitral heart valve comprising: a stent including a circular base and a pair of upstanding struts separating a pair of arcuately-shaped, depressed, reliefs, each said relief being bounded by a smooth curve interconnecting said struts to said circular base; a flexible, durable, biocompatible covering secured to said stents and providing two opposed, moulded, flexible, flappably-movable valve leaflets secured along the smooth curve defining the upper perimeter of the reliefs; the valve leaflets each being preformed and moulded so that the free margin of said biocompatible leaflets along the free edge of each of said leaflets between the tips of said struts is related to the circumference of said circular base such that, when said valve is in its open position, the cross-sectional area is substantially equal to the cross-sectional area of the inside of said circular base, and when said valve is in its relaxed and natural position, the free edges of said leaflets drop down and sealingly meet in substantially wrinkle-free form at a curve of apposition, the shape of said leaflets in that closed position approximating that of a surface formed by two coapting bubbles under pressure, the shape of said surface formed by said two coapting bubbles under pressure being defined by the following five simultaneous equations: (1) (2) (3) 3uy2 - 1 + ux2 at x - 0. (4) u(x,y) - x sin.alpha. x,y ? D. (5) wherein .alpha. is the angle between the plane containing the stent bounding and the x-y plane; and D is an ellipse having a short side "a" and a long side "b" formed as a projection of the stent bounding in the x-y plane.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
275 words
A mitral heart valve comprising: a stent including a circular base and a pair of upstanding struts separating a pair of arcuately-shaped, depressed, reliefs, each said relief being bounded by a smooth curve interconnecting said struts to said circular base; a flexible, durable, biocompatible covering secured to said stents and providing two opposed, moulded, flexible, flappably-movable valve leaflets secured along the smooth curve defining the upper perimeter of the reliefs; the valve leaflets each being preformed and moulded so that the free margin of said biocompatible leaflets along the free edge of each of said leaflets between the tips of said struts is related to the circumference of said circular base such that, when said valve is in its open position, the cross-sectional area is substantially equal to the cross-sectional area of the inside of said circular base, and when said valve is in its relaxed and natural position, the free edges of said leaflets drop down and sealingly meet in substantially wrinkle-free form at a curve of apposition, the shape of said leaflets in that closed position approximating that of a surface formed by two coapting bubbles under pressure, the shape of said surface formed by said two coapting bubbles under pressure being defined by the following five simultaneous equations: (1) (2) (3) 3uy2 - 1 + ux2 at x - 0. (4) u(x,y) - x sin.alpha. x,y ? D. (5) wherein .alpha. is the angle between the plane containing the stent bounding and the x-y plane; and D is an ellipse having a short side "a" and a long side "b" formed as a projection of the stent bounding in the x-y plane.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The mitral heart valve of claim 1 wherein said curve of apposition is in the plane defined by the tip of said struts and the axis of said valve.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The mitral heart valve of claim 1 wherein said valve leaflets comprise two equal, identical, opposed, moulded, flexible, flappably-movable valve leaflets.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The mitral heart valve of claim 2 wherein said valve leaflets comprise two equal, identical, opposed, moulded, flexible, flappably-movable valve leaflets.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The mitral heart valve of claim 1 wherein said valve leaflets comprise two unequal, opposed, moulded, flexible, flappably-movable valve leaflets.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The mitral heart valve of claim 2 wherein said valve leaflets comprise two equal, identical, opposed, moulded, flexible, flappably-movable valve leaflets.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
The mitral heart valve of claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein the free edges of said leaflets meet at a curve which follows the shape of a catenary.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
The mitral heart valve of claims 4, 5 or 6 wherein the free edges of said leaflets meet at a curve which follows the shape of a catenary.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
71 words
The mitral heart valve of claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein the shape of said bubble surfaces is computed from the solution of said five equations by discretizing said equations and solving by a numerical technique by dividing the ellipse into four pieces, forming a grid on half of D, discretizing the partial derivatives of second order finite difference approximations and solving the resulting non-linear algebraic equations by successive non-linear overrelaxation.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
71 words
The mitral heart valve of claims 4, 5 or 6 wherein the shape of said bubble surfaces is computed from the solution of said five equations by discretizing said equations and solving by a numerical technique by dividing the ellipse into four pieces, forming a grid on half of D, discretizing the partial derivatives of second order finite difference approximations and solving the resulting non-linear algebraic equations by successive non-linear overrelaxation.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The mitral heart valve of claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein said struts are substantially identical.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
The mitral heart valve of claims 4, 5 or 6 wherein said struts are substantially identical.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The mitral heart valve of claims 1 or 2 wherein said reliefs are symmetrically-disposed equidistant from said struts.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The mitral heart valve of claims 3, 4 or 6 wherein said reliefs are symmetrically-disposed equidistant from said struts.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
The mitral heart valve of claims 1 or 2 wherein said reliefs are asymmetrically-disposed with respect to said struts.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The mitral heart valve of claims 5 or 6 wherein said reliefs are asymmetrically-disposed with respect to said struts.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
29 words
The mitral heart valve of claim 4, 5 or 6 wherein said struts lie within the surface of a cone having the circular stent base as the conic base.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
40 words
The mitral heart valve of claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein said struts lie within the surface of a cone having the circular stent base as the conic base; and wherein said smooth curve interconnecting said struts is a parabola.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
40 words
The mitral heart valve of claims 4, 5 or 6 wherein said struts lie within the surface of a cone having the circular stent base as the conic base; and wherein said smooth curve interconnecting said struts is a parabola.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
24 words
The mitral heart valve of claim 4 wherein said stent is formed of a flexible, elastically-deformable material, so that said struts may flex slightly.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
24 words
The mitral heart valve of claim 6 wherein said stent is formed of a flexible, elastically-deformable material, so that said struts may flex slightly.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
The mitral heart valve of claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein said valve leaflets are formed of pericardium treated with glutaraldehyde.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
The mitral heart valve of claims 4, 5 or 6 wherein said valve leaflets are formed of pericardium treated with glutaraldehyde.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
34 words
The valve of claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein said valve leaflets are formed of pericardium treated with glutaraldehyde; and wherein said leaflets are secured to each other and to said struts by sutures.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
34 words
The valve of claims 4, 5 or 6 wherein said valve leaflets are formed of pericardium treated with glutaraldehyde; and wherein said leaflets are secured to each other and to said struts by sutures.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
29 words
The mitral heart valve of claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein said valve leaflets are formed of bovine, porcine or human fascia lata or dura mater, or of polyurethane.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
29 words
The mitral heart valve of claims 4, 5 or 6 wherein said valve leaflets are formed of bovine, porcine or human fascia lata or dura mater, or of polyurethane.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
19 words
The mitral heart valve of claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein said material is polypropylene or an acetal copolymer.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
19 words
The mitral heart valve of claims 4, 5 or 6 wherein said material is polypropylene or an acetal copolymer.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
18 words
The mitral heart valve of claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein said stent covering is a pericardial covering.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
18 words
The mitral heart valve of claims 4, 5 or 6 wherein said stent covering is a pericardial covering.