Patent ID: 7993393

Claim:
A suture-permeable connecting band formed of a silicone rubber inner member surrounded by a cloth cover, the connecting band having cusp portions separated by three upstanding commissure portions and attached to the stent/leaflet sub-assembly to provide outer free margins in the assembled heart valve and a flexible interface for suturing the valve to surrounding host tissue, wherein the connecting band closely conforms to the alternating stent cusps and commissures and defines an axial gap along the commissure portions opening to the inflow direction for enhancing freedom of movement of the stent cusps, the axial gap extending substantially the length of each commissure portion such that there is no structural connection between adjacent cusp portions except at an arcuate outflow tip of each commissure portion located approximately at the level of commissure tips of the flexible stent, wherein the outer free margins of the connecting band are angled upwardly and outwardly with respect to a central axis of the connecting band at each cusp portion and gradually re-align to be parallel to the central axis along the commissure portions.