Patent ID: 8070802

Claim:
A valve prosthesis, comprising: a. a resilient ring; b. a plurality of leaflet membranes mounted with respect to the resilient ring; and c. a plurality of positioning elements movably mounted with respect to the resilient ring, each of the positioning elements defining a proximal tissue engaging region including a first elongate tissue-piercing element, a distal tissue engaging region spaced apart from the proximal tissue engaging region along a direction of blood flow through the valve prosthesis and including a second elongate tissue-piercing element, and an intermediate tissue engaging region disposed between the proximal and distal tissue engaging region and including a third elongate tissue-piercing element; wherein the proximal, distal, and intermediate tissue-engaging regions are cooperatively configured and dimensioned to simultaneously engage separate corresponding areas of the tissue of an anatomical structure so as to stabilize a position of the valve prosthesis with respect to the anatomical structure, including wherein for purposes of so simultaneously engaging the separate corresponding areas of tissue, at least one of the first, second, and third elongate tissue-piercing elements is pointed at least partially opposite the direction of blood flow, and at least another thereof is pointed at least partially along the direction of blood flow; and wherein at least one of the proximal and distal tissue engaging regions further defines an arcuate surface for engaging the corresponding area of tissue so as to limit a depth to which the respective first or third elongate tissue-piercing element may become lodged therewithin.