Patent ID: 9629720
Date: 2017-04-25
CPC Classifications: A61F

Claim:
1. A prosthetic device for repairing a cardiac valve defining a flow path bounded by a first native leaflet and a second native leaflet, the prosthetic device comprising: an expandable frame configured to transition from a contracted delivery state to an expanded deployed state, the expandable frame defining a saddle-shaped structure in the expanded deployed state, wherein the saddle-shaped structure has a long axis configured to extend through the cardiac valve so that an upper portion is disposed in a first heart chamber and a first lower portion is disposed in a second heart chamber, and a short axis, shorter than the long axis, the saddle-shaped structure having a curvature configured to conform to an annulus of the cardiac valve, the expandable frame having one or more attachment portions configured to secure the prosthetic device to cardiac tissue in the expanded deployed state; and a membrane coupled to the expandable frame and adopting the saddle-shape when the expandable frame is in the expanded deployed state, the membrane defining a first surface and a second surface, the membrane configured to be suspended in the flow path so that the first surface is configured to abut the first native leaflet during systole but not during diastole and the second surface is configured to abut the second native leaflet during systole but not during diastole, to thereby reduce cardiac valve regurgitation.