Patent ID: 8142496

Claim:
An implantable cardiac ring prosthesis for reducing the size of an annulus of a heart valve, said cardiac ring prosthesis comprising: a ring shaped element which is elastically contractile under influence of a resilient force for radially contracting the ring shaped element from an expanded, wide condition to a narrow condition to narrow said annulus, wherein the ring shaped element comprises a plurality of discrete ring segments, an individual connecting wire between each adjacent ring segment joining together the ring segments, and pins provided on the circumference of the ring segments for anchoring each ring segment to said annulus, wherein said connecting wires are elastically contractile in a circumferential direction of the ring shaped element for radially contracting the ring shaped element from said expanded, wide condition to said narrow condition, wherein the connecting wires are made from a shape memory metal, wherein the ring shaped element is compressible to a compressed condition smaller than the narrow condition for feeding and positioning said ring shaped element within said annulus, wherein the ring shaped element is expandable into said expanded, wide condition for bringing the ring shaped element into contact with the vascular wall tissue surrounding the annulus, wherein each pin is radially movable for anchoring each ring segment to said vascular wall tissue surrounding the annulus therefore anchoring the implantable cardiac ring prosthesis to said annulus, and wherein the ring shaped element is elastically contractible to return to said narrow condition therefore narrowing said annulus.