Pivoted disc-type heart valve

Claim 2

The heart valve of claim 1 wherein: the retaining means cooperating with said pivot means are arms located on opposite sides of the base means, each arm projected upwardly and curved inwardly and having an inside surface following a spiral path larger than the curvature of the outer peripheral edge of the disc.

Claim 3

The heart valve of Claim 3 wherein: the spiral path on the inside surface of each arm approaches the curvature of the disc when the outer peripheral edge of the disc is in the closed position.

Claim 4

The heart valve of Claim 1 wherein: the pivot means includes pairs of projections directed into said opening, each pair of projections having a first member on one side of the disc and a second member on the opposite side of the disc.

Claim 5

The heart valve defined in Claim 1 wherein: the base means has at least one stop projected inwardly from said inner wall which is engaged by disc means when disc means is in the closed position.

Claim 6

The heart valve of Claim 1 wherein: the pivot means includes at least one member on the base means which is engaged by the disc means when the disc means is in the closed position to hold the disc means at an inclined position with respect to the normal plane of the axis of the opening of the base means.

Claim 7

The heart valve of Claim 1 wherein: said pivot means have upwardly directed faces which engage the portions of the disc means when the disc means is in extreme open position to thereby define the maximum open position of the disc means.

Claim 8

The heart valve of Claim 1 wherein: the substrate of the disc means is graphite and the Pyrolite carbon coating is a silicon-alloyed Pyrolite coating having at least two layers.

Claim 9

The heart valve of Claim 1 wherein: the disc has flat upper and lower surfaces that are parallel to each other and said annular uninterrupted peripheral edge is rounded and blends smoothly with both of said surfaces.

Claim 10

A heart valve for controlling the flow of blood comprising: base means having an inner wall surrounding an opening through the base means, disc means operable to selectively move to an open position allowing the flow of blood in one direction through the opening and into a closed position to restrict the flow of blood in the opposite direction through the opening, said disc means having an annular uninterrupted outer peripheral edge cooperating with said inner wall to restrict the flow of blood through said opening when the disc means is in the closed position, pivot means attached to the base means locating the disc means in said opening and allowing pivotal movement of the disc means relative to the pivot means and rotation of the disc means relative to the central axis thereof, and retaining means cooperating with said pivot means to hold the disc means in assembled relation with said base means, said retaining means having means for guiding the disc means along a curved path between the open position and closed position thereof and allowing the disc means greater lateral movement when the disc means is in the open position than when the disc means is in the closed position.

Claim 11

The heart valve of Claim 11 wherein: the disc means is a circular generally flat disc having a substrate and a coating of Pyrolite carbon covering the entire substrate.

Claim 12

The heart valve of claim 11 wherein: the retaining means comprise side means attached to the base means, said means guiding the disc means comprising inside surfaces on the side means following a spiral path larger than the curvature of the outer peripheral edge of the disc means,

Claim 13

The heart valve of claim 13 wherein: the spiral path on the inside surfaces of the side means approaches the curvature of the outer peripheral edge of the disc means when the disc means is in the closed position.

Claim 14

The heart valve of Claim 11 wherein: the pivot means are located on the base means in positions for pivoting the disc means about an axis located between the diameter of the disc means and an outer peripheral edge portion of the disc means.

Claim 15

The heart valve of Claim 11 wherein: said annular uninterrupted peripheral edge has a circumference which is slightly smaller than the inner wall of the base means, thereby allowing limited reverse flow of blood through the opening in the base means when the disc means is in the closed position.

Claim 16

The heart valve of Claim 11 including: means engageable by the disc means when the disc means is in the closed position to hold the disc means in an inclined position with respect to a plane normal to the axis of the opening of the base means.

Claim 17

The heart valve of Claim 11 wherein: said base means has a first member and a second member secured to the first member, said pivot means having at least one pivot member secured to the first member, said retaining means being attached to the second member.

Claim 18

A heart valve for controlling the flow of blood comprising: base means having a portion adapted to accommodate means for attaching the heart valve to heart tissue and an inner wall surrounding an opening through the base means allowing blood to flow through the base means, disc means positioned in said opening operable to selectively move to a first open position to allow the flow of blood through said opening in one direction and to a second closed position to restrict the flow of blood in the opposite direction through said opening, said disc means having a Pyrolite carbon outer skin and an annular uninterrupted outer peripheral edge spaced inwardly from the inner wall of the base means when the disc means is in the closed position thereby providing an annular space between the outer peripheral edge and the inner wall allowing limited annular reverse flow of blood through the annular space when the disc means is in the second closed position, means for maintaining the disc means in assembled relation with the base means in a manner so that the disc means is free to rotate relative to its central axis and is free to pivot between an open position and a closed position thereof, said means for maintaining the disc means in assembled relation with the base means cooperating with the disc means to hold the disc means in an inclined position with respect to the plane normal to the axis of the opening in the base means when the disc means is in the closed position, said means for maintaining the disc means in assembled relation with the base means comprising first means located on one side of the disc means engageable with said disc means during movement of the disc means from the closed position to the open position and second means on the opposite side of the disc means contacting said disc means during movement of the disc means from the open position to the closed position, said second means having fulcrum surfaces cooperating with said disc means during the closing movement thereof to define a disc pivot axis which moves from an offcenter position toward a diameter of the disc means, and third means having surfaces for guiding the disc means along a curved path between the open position and the closed position thereof and allowing the disc means greater lateral movement when the disc means is in the open position than when the disc means is in the closed position.

Claim 19

The heart valve of claim 19 wherein: the third means are arms located on opposite sides of the base means, each arm projected upwardly and curved inwardly and having an inside surface following a spiral path larger than the curvature of the outer peripheral edge of the disc means.

Claim 20

The heart valve of claim 20 wherein: the spiral path on the inside surface of each arm approaches the curvature of the outer peripheral edge of the disc means when the disc means is in the closed position.