Patent ID: 8317858

Claim:
An expandable stent, comprising: a plurality of positioning arches, each having an apex projecting toward a proximal end of the stent, the plurality of positioning arches being configured to be positioned within a plurality of pockets of a native heart valve radially outward of a plurality of native heart valve leaflets, a plurality of retaining arms, each having a proximal end, the plurality of retaining arms being configured to be positioned radially inward of the plurality of native heart valve leaflets, and a first annular collar having a distal end connected to a proximal end of at least one of the plurality of retaining arms and a proximal end defining a proximalmost end of the stent, wherein the proximal ends of the plurality of retaining arms are positioned closer to the proximalmost end of the stent than the proximal end of the plurality of positioning arches.