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Publication Number
US-12746117-B2
Publication Date
2026-09-29
Expiration Date
Abstract
A prosthetic valve has a radially expandable and compressible frame including a plurality of interconnected struts and a valvular structure including a plurality of leaflets configured to regulate the flow of blood through the prosthetic valve. The leaflets can have undulating cusp edge portions. The prosthetic valve further includes at least one connecting skirt having a shape that corresponds to the cusp edge portion of at least one leaflet. The connecting skirt can connect the cusp edge portion of the leaflet to at least one of the struts of the frame. The connecting skirt can include a first set of yarns intersecting with a second set of yarns. The first and second sets of yarns can extend at oblique angles relative to a longitudinal axis of the at least one strut.
Core Innovation
The prosthetic valve comprises a radially expandable and compressible frame with interconnected struts, leaflets having undulating cusp edge portions, and a connecting skirt shaped to correspond to the cusp edge portions. The skirt connects the leaflet cusp edges to frame struts. Its intersecting or interwoven yarn sets extend at oblique angles relative to the connected struts, and opposing longitudinal edge portions couple the skirt to the leaflet and frame.
The description states that oblique yarn orientation increases yarn–strut contact area to improve skirt durability. It also states that diagonal attachment can reduce leaflet tension and wrinkles, limit crimped profile, and facilitate assembly. The provided partial content does not include the background section, so the problem identified in that section is not explicitly described in the supplied material.
Claims Coverage
The claim coverage includes three inventive features across two independent claims directed to a prosthetic valve and one independent claim directed to a method for mounting a valvular structure to a frame.
Prosthetic valve with an obliquely oriented yarn connecting skirt
A radially expandable and compressible frame with interconnected struts supports leaflets with undulating cusp edge portions. A correspondingly shaped connecting skirt joins a leaflet cusp edge to a frame strut; intersecting yarn sets extend at oblique angles relative to the strut, and opposite longitudinal skirt edges couple to the leaflet and strut.
Prosthetic valve with a skirt connecting leaflets to diagonal struts
A radially expandable and compressible frame has interconnected struts, an inflow end, and an outflow end. A connecting skirt with an undulated shape corresponding to the leaflet cusp edges connects those edges to struts extending diagonally relative to the frame ends. The skirt has interwoven yarn sets, with one set extending at an oblique angle relative to the connected struts.
Method for mounting a valvular structure to a frame
The method couples a leaflet to a connecting skirt and couples the skirt to a frame strut extending diagonally from the inflow end toward the outflow end. The skirt has interwoven yarn sets, with one set oriented at an oblique angle relative to the strut’s longitudinal axis; opposite longitudinal skirt edges couple to the leaflet cusp edge and the strut.
The independent claims cover two prosthetic valve configurations and a mounting method. Their shared features are a connecting skirt between leaflet cusp edges and frame struts, with skirt yarns oriented obliquely to the connected struts; the claims also specify corresponding undulating shapes and diagonal strut arrangements.
Stated Advantages
The oblique yarn orientation increases yarn–strut contact area to improve skirt durability.
Diagonal attachment can reduce leaflet tension and wrinkles.
Diagonal attachment can limit crimped profile.
Diagonal attachment can facilitate assembly.
Documented Applications
A prosthetic valve with leaflets configured to regulate the flow of blood through the valve.
Mounting a valvular structure comprising leaflets to a radially expandable and compressible frame.
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