Patent ID: 8500821
Filing Date: 2013-08-06
Classification: A61F,C08L

Abstract:
1. An esophageal valve device for placing in a cardia, the valve device comprising: a valve; a support structure comprising a luminal prosthesis to which the valve is mounted; and anchors for mounting the prosthesis in situ, wherein the prosthesis comprises a self expanding plastics mesh, and wherein the valve comprises a valve body of viscoelastic polymeric foam material, the valve body comprising an outer support region which is mounted to the prosthesis and a main body region extending between the support region and valve leaflets, the valve comprising at least four valve leaflets, the valve having a normally closed configuration in which the leaflets are engaged, the valve having an antegrade open configuration in which the valve leaflets are opened in response to an antegrade force to allow flow through the valve, and a retrograde open configuration in response to a retrograde force which is larger than the antegrade force, the valve leaflets and at least a portion of the main body region of the valve configured to invert to allow flow in the retrograde direction and, on reduction in retrograde forces, the main body region and the valve leaflets configured to automatically revert to the normally closed configuration under an inherent biasing of the viscoelastic foam material.