Patent ID: 9554902
Date: 2017-01-31
CPC Classifications: A61F,F04C

Claim:
1. A prosthetic heart valve for replacing the function of a native heart valve, comprising: a collapsible and expandable stent having a proximal end, a distal end, an annulus section adjacent the proximal end and an aortic section adjacent the distal end, the stent being radially compressible and configured for transcatheter delivery; a plurality of commissure features disposed on the stent; a collapsible and expandable valve assembly, the valve assembly including a cuff, a plurality of leaflets, each of the plurality of leaflets including a free edge, tabs disposed on two sides of the free edge and connected to the plurality of commissure features, and an attachment portion having a body portion and a foldover portion, the attachment portion being disposed between the tabs and opposite the free edge for coupling to at least one of the stent and the cuff; and a plurality of discrete reinforcements, each discrete reinforcement being coupled to only one attachment portion of a selected leaflet and bounded by the tabs of the selected leaflet, and being spaced from the free edge of the selected leaflet; wherein the discrete reinforcement is coupled to each of the plurality of leaflets using a suture and the suture forms a whip stitch external to and around the discrete reinforcement and its representative leaflet of the plurality of leaflets wherein the whip stitch passes through the foldover portion and the body portion.