Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
204 words
A prosthetic valve for permanent implantation in a cardiac orifice, said valve comprising a tubular valve body formed with at least two angularly spaced outwardly projecting sinus-like bulges in its wall defining internal hollows extending nearly the full length of the body, whereby the external shape of said valve body is convex in axial section, a peripheral suture ring secured to the outside of and extending around said convex body and a number of thin flexible impermeable cusps within said body, one registering with the internal hollow provided by each bulge, each cusp being sealed to said valve body along upstream and axially extending edges but having a free downstream edge which terminates in the axial direction short of said downstream edge of the corresponding hollow and which has a length such that when said valve is open said cusps can surround a substantially cylindrical passageway through said valve and the downstream edge of said hollows intercepts part of the flow through the valve so that vortices are set up in said hollows tending to close the cusps, but when said valve is closed said free downstream edges of said cusps can meet and seal against those of the adjacent cusps along radial surfaces.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
204 words
A prosthetic valve for permanent implantation in a cardiac orifice, said valve comprising a tubular valve body formed with at least two angularly spaced outwardly projecting sinus-like bulges in its wall defining internal hollows extending nearly the full length of the body, whereby the external shape of said valve body is convex in axial section, a peripheral suture ring secured to the outside of and extending around said convex body and a number of thin flexible impermeable cusps within said body, one registering with the internal hollow provided by each bulge, each cusp being sealed to said valve body along upstream and axially extending edges but having a free downstream edge which terminates in the axial direction short of said downstream edge of the corresponding hollow and which has a length such that when said valve is open said cusps can surround a substantially cylindrical passageway through said valve and the downstream edge of said hollows intercepts part of the flow through the valve so that vortices are set up in said hollows tending to close the cusps, but when said valve is closed said free downstream edges of said cusps can meet and seal against those of the adjacent cusps along radial surfaces.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
A valve according to claim 1, wherein there are three substantially equiangularly spaced bulges.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
A valve according to claim 1, wherein said valve body is made from a textile fabric.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
A valve according to claim 3, wherein said textile fabric is a fine uncut terylene velour.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
A valve according to claim 3, wherein said valve body is formed as a laminate from at least two layers of said textile fabric with a layer of silicone rubber sandwiched therebetween.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
A valve according to claim 1, wherein said tubular body is made from a number of arcuate portions each shaped to provide one of said bulges.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
A valve according to claim 1, wherein said suture ring is made of a textile fabric.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
A valve according to claim 7, wherein said textile fabric from which said suture ring is made is a fine uncut terylene velour.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
A valve according to claim 1, wherein each cusp is made from a fine terylene fabric coated with silicone rubber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
A valve according to claim 9, wherein said terylene fabric is a ten denier warp knitted fabric.