Patent ID: 7608103

Claim:
An annuloplasty ring for implantation in a mitral valve annulus, said annuloplasty ring comprising: a rounded ring body having an anterior section adapted to be implanted on the anterior aspect of the mitral valve annulus and a posterior section adapted to be implanted on the posterior aspect of the mitral valve annulus; wherein the ring body is oriented about a central flow axis, the flow axis defining an upward direction and a downward direction, the downward direction corresponding to the direction of blood flow through the mitral valve annulus, and wherein the ring body as viewed downward in plan view has a continuous D-shaped configuration with the anterior section being relatively straight and the posterior section being outwardly curved; wherein the ring body is substantially planar except in the posterior section; and, wherein in the posterior section the ring body bows downward out of a plane perpendicular to the central flow axis, and wherein the downward bow is substantially centered in the posterior section and exhibits smooth curvilinear transitions to adjacent ring body sections.