Patent ID: 8740975

Claim:
A method of delivering a prosthetic heart valve comprising: providing a prosthetic heart valve comprising a radially self-expandable valve body made of a nickel-titanium alloy and leaflets made from pericardium, each leaflet comprising a curvilinear edge sutured to the valve body; securing the heart valve to a plurality of deployment members disposed on a distal end portion of an elongate catheter, the deployment members protruding radially outward through a plurality of rectangular openings along a proximal end portion of the valve body; introducing the distal end portion of the catheter and heart valve secured thereto into a patient's body with the valve body in a radially compressed state, the distal end portion of the catheter comprising a nose that facilitates introduction into and passage through a vascular system; allowing the valve body to self-expand from the radially compressed state to an initial expanded state while the valve body is positioned at least partially within a native heart valve annulus; moving a balloon from a position outside of the valve body to a position inside the valve body after allowing the valve body to self-expand; and inflating the balloon inside the valve body to further expand the valve body from the initial expanded state to a final expanded state after detaching the heart valve from the plurality of deployment members.