Patent ID: 7846199

Claim:
A prosthetic valve assembly comprising: a. a support frame defining a lumen extending from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis and being configured for implantation within a body vessel; b. a valve leaflet including a remodelable material, the valve leaflet being attached to the support frame and oriented in a first configuration within the lumen permitting a bidirectional fluid flow through the lumen in a first direction along the longitudinal axis and a second direction opposite the first direction, the valve leaflet being moveable from the first configuration to a second configuration permitting fluid flow through the lumen in the first direction while substantially limiting fluid flow through the lumen in the direction opposite the first direction; and c. a releasable holding member configured to restrain the valve leaflet in the first configuration and to prevent the valve leaflet from moving to the second configuration; the valve leaflet being moveable to the second configuration within the lumen upon release of the holding member.