Patent ID: 8142494

Claim:
An implant that retains a native heart valve leaflet within a heart chamber to resist retrograde flow comprising: a scaffold sized and configured to rest adjacent all or a portion of a native heart valve annulus, at least a portion of the scaffold defining a pseudo-annulus and including a retaining structure near or within the pseudo-annulus that is sized and shaped to overlay at least a portion of one or more native valve leaflets, the scaffold further including spaced-apart struts sized and configured to contact tissue near or within the heart valve annulus to brace the retaining structure to resist leaflet eversion and/or prolapsed, and an auxiliary structure to orient and stabilize the scaffold with the heart chamber, the auxiliary structure comprising a framework that rises above the scaffold including two substantially parallel arched wires that connect to form a semicircular hoop above the scaffold to position the scaffold within the heart chamber, the framework being compliant to contract with the heart chamber.