Patent ID: 8932343
Filing Date: 2015-01-13
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
1. A prosthetic heart valve, comprising: a collapsible and expandable stent having a proximal end and a distal end, the stent comprising a plurality of struts having free proximal ends configured to inhibit tissue penetration, each of the free proximal ends having proximal-most point; and a collapsible and expandable valve assembly disposed within the stent, the valve assembly including a plurality of leaflets; wherein first and second ones of the plurality of struts are joined to one another by a connecting member spaced from the proximal-most point so as to define a slot between the free proximal ends, each of the free proximal ends having a midpoint between the connecting member and the proximal-most point a first cross-section at the midpoint such that all points of the free proximal ends between the midpoint and the proximal-most point have a cross-section equal to or smaller than the first cross-section.