Patent ID: 7648528

Claim:
A valve prosthesis comprising: a radially-rigid annular carrier structure to be surgically implanted at a location of a heart valve, said carrier structure comprising an annular support without any shutter for restricting a flow of blood to only one direction; and an interchangeable prosthetic valve independent of said carrier structure, said prosthetic valve being configured to be inserted through and positioned in said carrier structure by an endoluminal process, said prosthetic valve including: a tubular support radially deformable relative to a main axis, said tubular support including a tubular lattice covered in a liquid-proof stretchable film configured to define a solid liquid-proof cylindrical wall, said tubular support being deformable between a folded position in which said tubular support is to be inserted into said carrier structure, and a deployed position in which said tubular support is positioned within said carrier structure such that an outer periphery of said tubular support bears against said carrier structure; and a flexible shutter connected to said tubular support and deformable between an obstruction position in which said flexible shutter extends transversely with respect to said tubular support, and a release position in which said flexible shutter is contracted transversely with respect to said tubular support under action of the blood flowing through said tubular support; wherein said tubular support and said flexible shutter of said prosthetic valve are held within said carrier structure in the deployed position of said tubular support so as to be jointly and independently removable from and relative to said carrier structure by an endoluminal process.