Patent ID: 7481838
Filing Date: 2009-01-27
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
1. A prosthetic heart valve, comprising: a flexible stent having alternating inflow cusps and outflow commissures; a plurality of flexible leaflets attached to the stent so as to form a one-way valve within the stent; and a suture-permeable connecting band attached to the stent providing outer free margins in the assembled heart valve and a flexible interface for suturing the valve to surrounding host tissue; wherein the connecting band closely conforms to the alternating stent cusps and commissures and defines an axial gap along the commissures opening in the inflow direction for enhancing freedom of movement of the stent cusps, and wherein the stent has bioresorbable commissures and is designed to separate the valve into individual leaflets after implant, and the connecting band is discontinuous at the stent commissures.