Patent ID: 8430925
Filing Date: 2013-04-30
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
1. A support member for supporting a prosthetic heart valve, the support member having a longitudinal axis and being adapted to provide a scaffolding force to the interior of an anatomical vessel, the support member comprising: three separate and independent metallic panels, each panel comprising a center portion between opposing side portions, wherein for each panel the center portion is radially inwardly disposed with respect to the opposing side portions; and three mechanical hinges, each mechanical hinge having an axis, and each mechanical hinge attaching a pair of adjacent peripheral panels of said three metallic panels and being configured to permit the pair of adjacent panels to rotate about the axis of the mechanical hinge, each pair of adjacent panels forming a lobe, each lobe having a vertex at one of the mechanical hinges and each lobe being curled in a same direction around the longitudinal axis of the support member, wherein each panel is bendable to a radially outwardly disposed configuration such that the support member is expanded to an expanded state having a relatively larger cross-sectional dimension.