Patent ID: 8092523

Claim:
A prosthetic heart valve, comprising: a hollow, annular, stent structure having a blood-inflow edge and a blood-outflow edge, the blood-outflow edge defining portion that includes a plurality of commissure regions spaced from one another a plurality of intermediate edge portions interposed between the commissure regions, each intermediate edge portion having a midpoint between adjacent commissure regions, the blood-outflow edge having a luminal side and an abluminal side, the blood-outflow edge in the commissure regions being spaced from the blood-inflow edge by first distances, and the blood-outflow edge in the intermediate edge portions being spaced from the blood-inflow edge by a second distance less than the first distances; a plurality of leaflets, each leaflet having a portion positioned over the intermediate edge portion between respective pairs of annularly adjacent ones of the commissure regions, the portion of at least one of the leaflets and the intermediate edge portion between at least one of the respective pairs of commissure regions collectively defining a receiving structure; and a clip structure having first and second legs spaced apart so as to define a channel therebetween, the clip structure being connected to the receiving structure in an assembled position with the first leg on the luminal side of the blood-outflow edge and the second leg on the abluminal side of the blood-outflow edge, wherein the clip structure in the assembled position extends along and beyond the midpoint of the intermediate edge portion extending between the at least one of the respective pairs of commissure regions.