EP0050439A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Heart valve prosthesis
Assignee: Hemex Inc
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Filing: 1981-10-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2001-10-05
Abstract
Abstract Double-leaflet heart valves having an annular valve body (103) and a pair of pivotable leaflets (105) which may be arcuate or flat in cross section. Guides (131) protrude oppositely from the leaflets (105) and are received in complementary depressions (111) in the interior wall surface (117) of the annular valve body at generally diametrically opposite locations. Eccentric pivot axes provide for quick response of the leaflets (105), and small rounded knobs (137) of the guides (131) are received in the depressions (111) which assure the alignment is maintained. The depressions (111) are preferably elongated so that, as the leaflets (105) pivot between the open and closed positions, the guides (131) move from one end of the elongated depressions (111) to the other.
Inventors
- 👤 Jerome John Klawitter
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 20:07
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/02; A61F2/24; A61F2/2409; A61F2/2403; A61F13/00; A61F13/15; A61F13/15577; A61F2013/15821; A61F2013/15845; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/7722; Y10T137/7837; Y10T137/7838; Y10T137/7839; Y10T137/7898; Y10T137/7903
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
173 words
A heart valve prosthesis comprising an annular valve body having a central passageway therethrough designed to be mounted to permit the flow of blood therethrough in a predetermined downstream direction, and a pair of leaflets which are supported for substantially pivotal movement on eccentric axes between a closed position blocking blood flow through said central passageway and an open position allowing blood flow therethrough in said predetermined downstream direction, said leaflets and said valve body including projecting guides and depressions which receive said guides, said depressions and said projecting guides having complementary surfaces which mount said leaflets in a manner to allow pivotal movement relative to said annular valve body, said depressions being elongated so that there is relative rotational and translational movement of said guides within said depressions as said leaflets pivot between the open position and the closed position, said guides each having projections which are received in slot means formed as a part of said depressions which maintain alignment of said guides within said depressions during opening and closing movement.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
173 words
A heart valve prosthesis comprising an annular valve body having a central passageway therethrough designed to be mounted to permit the flow of blood therethrough in a predetermined downstream direction, and a pair of leaflets which are supported for substantially pivotal movement on eccentric axes between a closed position blocking blood flow through said central passageway and an open position allowing blood flow therethrough in said predetermined downstream direction, said leaflets and said valve body including projecting guides and depressions which receive said guides, said depressions and said projecting guides having complementary surfaces which mount said leaflets in a manner to allow pivotal movement relative to said annular valve body, said depressions being elongated so that there is relative rotational and translational movement of said guides within said depressions as said leaflets pivot between the open position and the closed position, said guides each having projections which are received in slot means formed as a part of said depressions which maintain alignment of said guides within said depressions during opening and closing movement.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
101 words
A heart valve in accordance with Claim 1 wherein said guides each have a terminal surface, which is a portion of a spheroidal surface, that is located between a pair of generally parallel side surfaces, said spheroidal surfaces of said guides defining the pivot axis of each leaflet, each guide is formed with a rounded knob which projects from said terminal surface and which is centered on said pivot axis, and said depressions are each formed with a surface of substantially mating curvature to said spheroidal surface and with a central elongated slot which is proportioned to receive said rounded knob.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
A heart valve in accordance with Claim 1 wherein said leaflets are curved in cross section having convex surfaces facing upstream and concave surfaces facing downstream.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
A heart valve in accordance with Claim 3 wherein said convex and concave surfaces are spherical.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
A heart valve in accordance with Claim 1 wherein said leaflets are substantially flat.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
A heart valve in accordance with Claim 2 wherein said terminal surface is a section of a spherical sector of a predetermined radius and said depressions have surfaces of a radius of curvature slightly greater than said predetermined radius.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
A heart valve in accordance with Claim 6 wherein said knob is a sector of a sphere.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
A heart valve in accordance with Claim 6 wherein said depression has a central section that is a portion of a cylindrical surface of a length equal to at least 10% of said sector radius.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
156 words
A heart valve prosthesis comprising an annular valve body having a central passageway therethrough designed to be mounted to permit the flow of blood therethrough in a predetermined downstream direction, and a pair of leaflets which are supported for substantially pivotal movement on eccentric axes between a closed position blocking blood flow through said central passageway and an open position allowing blood flow therethrough in said predetermined downstream direction, said leaflets and said valve body including projecting guides and depressions which receive said guides, said depressions and said projecting guides having complementary surfaces which mount said leaflets in a manner to allow pivotal movement relative to said annular valve body, said leaflets each generally being a section of a hollow sphere and said projecting guides each having a terminal surface which is a portion of a spheroidal surface and having a pair of generally parallel side surfaces that allow flushing flow of blood through said depressions.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
156 words
A heart valve prosthesis comprising an annular valve body having a central passageway therethrough designed to be mounted to permit the flow of blood therethrough in a predetermined downstream direction, and a pair of leaflets which are supported for substantially pivotal movement on eccentric axes between a closed position blocking blood flow through said central passageway and an open position allowing blood flow therethrough in said predetermined downstream direction, said leaflets and said valve body including projecting guides and depressions which receive said guides, said depressions and said projecting guides having complementary surfaces which mount said leaflets in a manner to allow pivotal movement relative to said annular valve body, said leaflets each generally being a section of a hollow sphere and said projecting guides each having a terminal surface which is a portion of a spheroidal surface and having a pair of generally parallel side surfaces that allow flushing flow of blood through said depressions.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
55 words
A heart valve in accordance with Claim 9 wherein each of said depressions is elongated so that its longitudinal dimension is at least about 110% of its transverse dimension whereby there is relative rotational and translational movement of said guides within said depressions as said leaflets pivot between the open position and the closed position.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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