Patent ID: 8062359

Claim:
A suture-permeable connecting band for securing a prosthetic heart valve to an anatomical cavity, comprising: a flexible, continuous connecting band having an undulating shape generally defining a tube with alternating inflow cusps and outflow commissures, the cusps having large radii of curvatures relative to the commissures, an inflow edge of the connecting band substantially conforming to an outflow edge thereof and following the undulating shape such that axial gaps are created between adjacent cusps at the commissures, the gaps having a height of at least about 50% of the overall axial height of the connecting band, wherein each cusp has a varying cross-section between adjacent commissures that includes at least one relief point comprising a generally radial slit formed by a gapless cut in the connecting band at which the cross-section abruptly reduces such that bending of each connecting band cusp occurs first at the relief point.