Sigmoid valve annuloplasty ring

Claim 1

A sigmoid heart valve annuloplasty prosthesis adapted to be used within a native sigmoid heart valve and to function in conjunction with the native heart valve, in order to remodel its annulus and avoid its replacement, comprising: a convoluted ring consisting essentially of material selected from biocompatible plastics and metals, having the configuration which includes three substantially sinusoidally shaped struts projecting upwardly from a base diameter of the ring, portions of the ring which form the base diameter and which interconnect the sinusoidal struts being curved both in a frontal and axial plane, the material forming each of the struts being non-parallel in separate ascending and descending portions of each strut, the separate ascending and descending portions of each strut being separated by space and having no physical structure in between, the base diameter being larger than the diameter of the ring at the top of the sinusoidal struts, whereby in a side view the configuration of the ring approximates a truncated cone and whereby the overall configuration of the ring is such that native sigmoid heart valve leaflets of humans or domestic animals may seal against each other within the sinusoidal struts of the ring, and without entering into contact with it, and a biocompatible cloth covering substantially the entire ring.