Patent ID: 8623079

Claim:
A stented valve comprising: a stent structure comprising a generally tubular body portion, an interior area, a longitudinal axis, an outflow end, an inflow end, an outer surface comprising a concave saddle area between the outflow and inflow ends, and a plurality of diamond-shaped structures at both the inflow and outflow ends, wherein the plurality of diamond-shaped structures at the inflow end comprise multiple adjacent V-shaped wire structures that extend from each other around a circumference of the inflow end of the stent structure, and wherein the plurality of diamond-shaped structures at the outflow end comprise multiple adjacent V-shaped wire structures that extend from each other around a circumference of the outflow end of the stent structure; at least one inflow barb extending from a distal end of one of the V-shaped wire structures of the inflow end, spaced from the inflow end of the stent structure, and extending toward the outflow end of the stent structure; at least one outflow barb extending toward the inflow end of the stent structure from an intersection point of one of the diamond shaped structures at the outflow end of the stent structure, wherein the intersection point to which the at least one outflow barb is attached is spaced from a distal edge of the outflow end of the stent structure, wherein the outflow and inflow barbs extend over at least a portion of the concave saddle area of the stent structure; and a valve structure attached within the interior area of the stent structure, the valve structure comprising a plurality of leaflets.