Heart valve prosthesis

Claim 2

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 annular valve body including a pair of substantially diametrically opposed standards extending from a main portion of said body in said predetermined downstream direction, said leaflets and said valve body including projecting guides and complementary depressions which receive said guides, said depressions and said projecting guides mounting said leaflets in a manner to allow pivotal movement relative to said annular valve body, either said depressions or said guides being located at least partially in said standards so that, in the open position, said leaflets are substantially displaced from the spatial region of said main portion of said annular valve body in a direction downstream of the flow of blood therethrough.

Claim 3

A heart valve in accordance with claim 1 wherein said guides each have a surface which is a portion of a spheroidal surface and wherein said depressions are formed with a surface of substantially mating curvature.

Claim 4

A heart valve in accordance with claim 2 wherein said projecting guides are carried by said leaflets and wherein two pairs of said depressions are located in said valve body at least partially in said standards.

Claim 5

A heart valve in accordance with claim 3 wherein each of said guides have a surface which is generally that of a spherical sector and wherein said depressions are elongated and extend downstream for a distance of at least about 125 percent of the diameter of said spherical sector and at an angle of between 0° and about 45° outward from a line parallel to the centerline of said central passageway.

Claim 6

A heart valve in accordance with claim 4 wherein said depressions extend in a subtantially straight line.

Claim 7

A heart valve in accordance with claim 1 wherein said leaflets are formed with a pair of substantially planar, substantially parallel lateral surfaces from which said guides protrude.

Claim 8

A heart valve in accordance with claim 6 wherein said guides are defined partially by a pair of substantially parallel side surfaces which are substantially perpendicular to said leaflet lateral surfaces.

Claim 9

A heart valve in accordance with claim 7 wherein said guides each include an end surface of generally spherical curvature.

Claim 10

A heart valve in accordance with claim 7 wherein said guides each include a flat end surface having rounded edges.

Claim 11

A heart valve in accordance with either claim 8 or 9 wherein said depressions each have a surface outline of the general shape of a pie-shaped circular sector with the apex of said sector located nearest the centerline of said central passageway.

Claim 12

A heart valve in accordance with claim 1 wherein said depressions are substantially larger in volume than the volume of said guides and wherein there is communication between said depressions and the bloodstream both downstream and upstream of said leaflets so that a controlled backflow of blood through said depressions occurs during the time said leaflets are in the closed position.

Claim 13

A heart valve in accordance with claim 11 wherein said depressions are formed in a pair of opposed flat interior surfaces of said annular valve body and wherein a groove is provided in said flat surfaces between each of said depressions and the central valve body passageway upstream of said leaflets.

Claim 14

A heart valve in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of said leaflets has a downstream edge which is substantially semicircular and wherein said valve body is formed with annular seat means having a downstream-facing surface against which said leaflet downstream edges abut in closed position.

Claim 15

A heart valve prosthesis comprising an annular valve body having a central passageway therethrough which is designed to be mounted to permit the flow of blood therethrough in a predetermined downstream direction, and a pair of leaflets which are supported by pairs of guides in opposed elongated depressions upon said annular valve body 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, the locations of said eccentric axes shifting relative to said valve body in a downstream direction as said leaflets pivot to the open position, said leaflets each including a major body portion which is a section of a tube having a curved sidewall and being mounted with their concave surfaces facing each other in the open position and facing downstream in the closed position, said axes being located substantially upstream of the center of gravity of said leaflets when said leaflets are in the open position, and said valve body being formed with stop means exterior of said depressions which is positioned downstream of said location of said eccentric axes in said closed position.

Claim 16

A heart valve prosthesis comprising an annular valve body having a central passageway therethrough which is designed to be mounted to permit the flow of blood therethrough in a predetermined downstream direction, and a pair of leaflets which are supported by pairs of guides in opposed elongated depressions upon said annular valve body 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, the locations of said eccentric axes shifting relative to said valve body in a downstream direction as said leaflets pivot to the open position, said leaflets each including a major body portion which is a section of a tube having a curved sidewall and being mounted with their concave surfaces facing each other in the open position and facing downstream in the closed position, said axes being located substantially upstream of the center of gravity of said leaflets when said leaflets are in the open position, and said valve body being formed with stop means exterior of said depressions which is positioned downstream of said location of said eccentric axes in said closed position.

Claim 17

A heart valve prosthesis comprising an annular valve body having a central passageway therethrough which is designed to be mounted to permit the flow of blood therethrough in a predetermined downstream direction, and a pair of leaflets which are supported by pairs of elongated guides in opposed elongated depressions upon said annular valve body for a 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, the locations of said eccentric axes shifting relative to said valve body in a downstream direction as said leaflets pivot to the open position, said leaflets each including a major body portion which is a section of a tube having a curved sidewall and being mounted with their concave surfaces facing each other in the open position and facing downstream in the closed position, said axes being located substantially upstream of the center of gravity of said leaflets when said leaflets are in the open position, and said depressions each having a straight edge along which said guide lies in the closed position, a straight edge along which said guide lies in the open position and an arcuate edge along which a downstream end of said guide travels as said leaflets pivot from the closed to the open position, said arcuate edge being located farther from a plane through the centerline of the passageway than said pivot axes.

Claim 18

A heart valve prosthesis comprising an annular valve body having a central passageway therethrough which is designed to be mounted to permit the flow of blood therethrough in a predetermined downstream direction, and a pair of leaflets which are supported by pairs of elongated guides in opposed elongated depressions upon said annular valve body for a 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, the locations of said eccentric axes shifting relative to said valve body in a downstream direction as said leaflets pivot to the open position, said leaflets each including a major body portion which is a section of a tube having a curved sidewall and being mounted with their concave surfaces facing each other in the open position and facing downstream in the closed position, said axes being located substantially upstream of the center of gravity of said leaflets when said leaflets are in the open position, and said depressions each having a straight edge along which said guide lies in the closed position, a straight edge along which said guide lies in the open position and an arcuate edge along which a downstream end of said guide travels as said leaflets pivot from the closed to the open position, said arcuate edge being located farther from a plane through the centerline of the passageway than said pivot axes.

Claim 19

A heart valve prosthesis comprising an annular valve body having a central passageway therethrough of substantially circular cross section which valve body is designed to be mounted to permit the flow of blood therethrough in a predetermined downstream direction, said valve body having seat means formed by a surface facing generally downstream, and a pair of leaflets which are supported upon said annular valve body for substantially pivotal movement on parallel 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 each including a major body portion which is a section of a tube having an elliptical cross section and said leaflets being mounted with their concave surfaces facing each other, the curvature of said elliptical tubular section being chosen and said axes being located such that the downstream edge of each of said leaflets is substantially semi-circular, said downstream edge having a radius of curvature less than that of said seat means surface, whereby the curved edge of the leaflet in the closed position forms line contact with said seat surface and provides a close seal therewith.

Claim 20

A heart valve prosthesis comprising an annular valve body having a central passageway therethrough of substantially circular cross section which valve body is designed to be mounted to permit the flow of blood therethrough in a predetermined downstream direction, said valve body having seat means formed by a surface facing generally downstream, and a pair of leaflets which are supported upon said annular valve body for substantially pivotal movement on parallel 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 each including a major body portion which is a section of a tube having an elliptical cross section and said leaflets being mounted with their concave surfaces facing each other, the curvature of said elliptical tubular section being chosen and said axes being located such that the downstream edge of each of said leaflets is substantially semi-circular, said downstream edge having a radius of curvature less than that of said seat means surface, whereby the curved edge of the leaflet in the closed position forms line contact with said seat surface and provides a close seal therewith.

Claim 21

A heart valve in accordance with claim 16 wherein said leaflets and said valve body include projecting guides and depressions which pivotally receive said guides.

Claim 22

A heart valve in accordance with claim 17 wherein said elliptical cross section is that of a 10° to 20° ellipse.