Patent ID: 7896913

Claim:
An implantable heart valve prosthesis including a prosthetic valve component and an anchoring system, the anchoring system including a plurality of elongated discrete base elements attached to the prosthetic valve component, each having a longitudinal axis, and a plurality of hook-shaped elements secured to the base elements, wherein each of the plurality of hook-shaped elements includes a distal portion connected to a basal portion, wherein the distal portion of each hook-shaped element transitions from a first position that is inclined with respect to the basal portion approximately 90 degrees in a direction toward the longitudinal axis of a respective base element during implantation of the heart valve prosthesis, to a second position in which the distal portion is substantially aligned with respect to the basal portion when the heart valve prosthesis is deployed at a site of implantation for anchoring in a wall of an aorta, wherein the hook-shaped elements extend through the prosthetic valve component prior to the heart valve prosthesis being positioned at the implantation site and are supported inside the prosthetic valve component by a respective base element.