Catheter mounted artificial heart valve for implanting in close proximity to a defective natural heart valve

Claim 1

An artificial heart valve operable in the presence of a malfunctioning natural heart valve and implantable by remote means, said remote means comprising an elongated flexible catheter having a proximal end and a closed imperforate distal end insertable through a blood vessel from a point near an external body surface to a point adjacent a malfunctioning natural heart valve, said artificial heart valve comprising a flexible imperforate membrane affixed at its epicenter to said distal end of said catheter, said membrane being formed generally as a surface of a right circular cone with a cylindrical section extending from the circular base of said conical surface longitudinally in a direction towards said proximal end, the apex of said cone residing in a direction in which said membrane is operable to substantially prevent return flow of blood back through said malfunctioning natural heart valve, said membrane being operable to collapse about said catheter to allow blood flow opposite the direction of said apex, said artificial heart valve being operable solely by blood flow and in the absence of external power means.