Patent ID: 11969338
Assignee: EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 10:
11. A method of manufacturing a prosthetic heart valve, comprising:
providing a piece of pericardial tissue comprising a fibrous parietal layer and a serous parietal layer;
reducing a thickness of the piece of pericardial tissue by removing a portion of the serous parietal layer with a laser in a laser milling process, the fibrous parietal layer defining a first surface of the piece of pericardial tissue and the serous parietal layer defining a second surface of the piece of pericardial tissue;
forming a plurality of openings or slits in the piece of pericardial tissue, between a first end portion and an opposite, second end portion of the piece of pericardial tissue; and
positioning the piece of pericardial tissue around an outer surface of a frame of the prosthetic heart valve and securing it thereto such that the first surface is facing away from the frame and the second surface is facing towards the frame and the second end portion of the piece of pericardial tissue is disposed at an inflow end of the frame and the first end portion of the piece of pericardial tissue is disposed at a location on the frame that is between the inflow end and an outflow end of the frame.