Patent ID: 7758632

Claim:
A prosthetic valve comprising: a radially expandable structural frame having a substantially cylindrical configuration with first and second open ends and a longitudinal axis defining a longitudinal direction extending there between, the structural frame including a proximal anchor, a distal anchor, a plurality of connecting members, each connecting member oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis and connected between the proximal anchor and distal anchor at spaced apart intervals along the circumference of each anchor, one or more flex segments each having a first end, a second end and an intermediate region there between, the first and the second ends of each of the one or more flex segments being attached to the distal end of the proximal anchor, each of the one or more flex segments having a semicircular configuration with a circumferential length relative to the longitudinal axis that is less than the circumferential length of the distal end of the proximal anchor, each of the one or more flex segments being disconnected from the circumferentially adjacent one or more flex segments, and one or more cantilever valve struts, each cantilever valve strut having first and second ends, and being oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis when in their zero strain state, wherein the first end is attached to the intermediate region and the second end is free to be displaced when the valve is deployed in a body lumen; and a tubular membrane attached to the abluminal surface of the proximal anchor and extending distally along the abluminal surface of the one or more connecting members, the tubular membrane having proximal and distal ends, and terminating with supple valve flaps, each supple valve flap being formed along the distal end between the one or more connecting members, wherein the distal end of the tubular membrane is engaged by the abluminal surface of the second end of the one or more cantilever valve struts.