Patent ID: 8876896

Claim:
A prosthetic valve comprising: a valve assembly comprising a base, a plurality of leaflets, and commissures; a support stent comprising a first row defining a first plurality of expandable cells; a second row defining a second plurality of expandable cells; and a plurality of longitudinal struts each comprising a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, wherein the first row is directly connected to the proximal end portion of each of the plurality of longitudinal struts, wherein the second row is directly connected to the distal end portion of each of the plurality of longitudinal struts, wherein the support stent is configured to be collapsible for transluminal delivery and expandable to contact the anatomical annulus of the native valve when the prosthetic valve is positioned in situ, wherein the support stent supports the base, wherein the longitudinal struts of the support stent further comprise a plurality of holes, wherein the plurality of holes are entirely distal to the first row, and wherein the commissures of the valve assembly are secured directly to the longitudinal struts via threads passing through both the plurality of holes and the commissures.