Patent ID: 7591847

Claim:
A stentless bioprosthetic valve for replacing a native mitral valve resected from a valve annulus in a heart, the native mitral valve haying anterior and posterior leaflets and associated native chordae tendinea, said bioprosthetic valve comprising: at least one piece of biocompatible material comprising a bi-leaflet conduit having dimensions that correspond to the dimensions of the native mitral valve, said conduit having a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end of said conduit defining a first annulus for suturing to the valve annulus in the heart; said conduit including first and second leaflets that mimic the three-dimensional anatomical shape of the anterior and posterior leaflets of the native mitral valve, said first and second leaflets extending between said proximal end and said distal end of said conduit, said distal end of said conduit defining a second annulus at which said first and second leaflets terminate; said conduit further including first and second pairs of prosthetic chordae projecting from said first and second leaflets at said second annulus, each of said prosthetic chordae comprising a solid uninterrupted extension of said at least one piece of biocompatible material, said first and second pairs of prosthetic chordae providing prolapse prevention for the bioprosthetic valve and supporting the left ventricular muscle throughout the cardiac cycle; one of said first pair of prosthetic chordae extending from said first leaflet and having a terminal end for suturing to one of the two papillary muscles and the other of said first pair of prosthetic chordae extending from said first leaflet and having a terminal end for suturing to the other of the two papillary muscles; one of said second pair of prosthetic chordae extending from said second leaflet and having a distal end for suturing to one of the two papillary muscles and the other of said second pair of prosthetic chordae extending from said second leaflet and having a distal end for suturing to the other of the two papillary muscles; each of said prosthetic chordae having a proximal end extending from said second annulus, each of said prosthetic chordae having a substantially constant cross-sectional shape along an entire length of said prosthetic chordae from said proximal end to said terminal end that is sutured to the respective papillary muscle.