Heart valve and fixture assembly

Abstract

A replacement heart valve and fixture assembly for limiting longitudinal stretch during fixation of a harvested aortic root including valve leaflets. The assembly includes an inflow plug inserted into the inflow section of the aortic root and having an apertured tube or cannula extending through the valve leaflets to an outflow plug inserted into the outflow section of the aortic root. Apertures in the tube are located on either side of the valve leaflets and the tube is coupled to a fluid inlet, preferably located on the outflow plug. The outflow plug is slidable relative to the tube and is provided with an engagement mechanism such as a setscrew for fixing the location of the outflow plug relative to the tube and the inflow plug.

In conjunction with the above specification, we claim:  
     
         1 . A replacement heart valve and fixture assembly comprising: 
 a harvested aortic root having an inflow section, an outflow section and valve leaflets;    a first plug in sealing relation to the inflow section;    a second plug in sealing relation to the outflow section;    a tube extending through the aortic root and secured to the first and second plugs such that the tube passes through the leaflets.    
     
     
         2 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the tube is secured to the first plug by means of a setscrew.  
     
     
         3 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the tube is slideably secured to the first plug.  
     
     
         4 . An assembly according to  claim 1  further comprising a fluid inlet coupled to the tube.  
     
     
         5 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the first plug comprises an engagement mechanism operable to fix the tube in position relative to the first plug.  
     
     
         6 . An assembly according to  claim 4  wherein the fluid coupling is located on the first plug and wherein the tube extends into the fluid inlet.  
     
     
         7 . An assembly according to any of  claims 1  to  6  wherein the tube includes a plurality of apertures therethrough.