Patent ID: 8034104

Claim:
A prosthetic heart valve having a low outflow profile, comprising: a base structure having a central flow orifice oriented around a flow axis and having an outflow edge with alternating commissures and cusps, wherein the commissures define an outflow end of the valve; a plurality of flexible leaflets mounted on the base structure and projecting into the flow orifice, the flexible leaflets being mounted in the base structure so as to define a leaflet axial dimension as measured approximately from an inflow end to the outflow end of the valve; and a sewing ring having a scalloped inflow profile mounted around the base structure having a scalloped inflow edge and a planar outflow surface, the sewing ring defining a constant tissue attachment elevation at the planar outflow surface, wherein at the base structure commissures the distance between the attachment elevation and the valve outflow end relative to the leaflet axial dimension is less than about 75%, and wherein the sewing ring includes an inner wall and the base structure mounts within the inner wall.