Patent ID: 6991649
Filing Date: 2006-01-31
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
1. An artificial valve for the replacement of an aortic or mitral heart valve, comprising: an annular body for installation into a valve flap ring of an aortic or mitral heart valve, said annular body including, at its outer circumference, means for mounting by surgical procedures and defining in its interior a blood flow passage, flap elements which are pivotally supported in said blood flow passage by pivot support structures and which, depending on their pivot positions, open or close said blood flow passage, said annular body including circumferentially spaced projections extending inwardly into said flow passage toward the center area of said blood flow passage, said spaced projections being provided at their inwardly extending ends with pivot joints on which said flap elements are pivotally supported, about a pivot axis extending through the pivot joints such that the cross-section covered by the outer part of each valve flap between the pivot axis and the annular body is larger than the flow cross-section covered by the flap in the center area of the annular body, whereby the outer valve parts adjacent the annular body are opened by the flow of blood through the valve in the direction of the blood flow and the inner valve flap parts projecting from the pivot axis into the center of the annular body are opened against the flow of the blood through the valve.