Patent ID: 11857413
Assignee: MEDTRONIC VASCULAR GALWAY
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 14:
15. A method of treating a native heart valve of a patient, the method comprising:
delivering a prosthetic heart valve to the native heart valve with a delivery device, the prosthetic heart valve including a stent frame maintaining a valve structure, the stent frame configured to expand from a compressed condition to a natural, expanded condition, the stent frame having a lattice structure defining at least a first band of closed cells extending about an entirety of a circumference of the stent frame, the first band defining first and second regions, the first region having a maximum radial stiffness less than a minimum radial stiffness of the second region, the stent frame further including a radiopaque marker; at least partially deploying the prosthetic heart valve from the delivery device into the native heart valve, including the stent frame self-expanding toward the natural condition; and aligning the radiopaque marker so that the first region with a desired anatomical location of the native heart valve.