Patent ID: 7025780

Claim:
A valvular prosthesis comprising: a stent apparatus; a valve apparatus located within a stent apparatus to define a stented valve, the valve apparatus having inflow end and a generally sinusoidal outflow end, the inflow and outflow ends being spaced apart from each other by a length of a sidewall portion, the valve apparatus comprising an animal pulmonic heart valve that includes a plurality of leaflets attached to and extending from an interior part of the sidewall portion located within the stent apparatus, wherein each of the valve apparatus and the stent apparatus has a generally sinusoidal outflow end comprising axially extending posts with sinuses between adjacent posts, such that the plurality of stent posts are aligned substantially radially with and attached to corresponding posts of the valve apparatus; the stented valve being deformable between a reduced cross-sectional dimension and an expanded cross-sectional dimension, whereby placement of the stented valve to a desired implantation position is facilitated when in the reduced cross-sectional dimension; and the stent apparatus being self-expanding to urge the stented valve from the reduced cross-sectional dimension toward the expanded cross-sectional dimension thereof, whereby implantation is facilitated and the leaflets are movable between open and closed conditions to provide for substantially unidirectional flow of blood through the stented valve when in the expanded cross-sectional dimension thereof; and an outer sheath of a substantially biocompatible material that covers at least a substantial portion of the stent apparatus and the valve apparatus.