Replacement heart valve

Abstract

A replacement heart valve can have an expandable frame configured to engage a native valve annulus. A valve body can be mounted onto the expandable frame to provide functionality similar to a natural valve. The valve body has an upstream end and a downstream end, and a diameter at the downstream end is greater than a diameter at the upstream end.

1 . A replacement heart valve comprising:
 an expandable frame having an engagement system configured to engage a native valve annulus at an engagement zone along the length of the frame, the frame comprising an upstream portion, a downstream portion, and a transition portion between the upstream and downstream portions, a diameter of the downstream portion being greater than a diameter of the upstream portion; and   a valve body mounted onto the expandable frame, the valve body comprising a plurality of valve leaflets configured to move between an open condition and a closed condition, a diameter of the valve body at a downstream end of the leaflets being greater than a diameter of the valve body at an upstream end of the leaflets;   wherein the upstream end of each leaflet is positioned upstream of the frame engagement zone.   
     
     
         2 . The replacement heart valve of  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the downstream portion of the frame is substantially constant along the length of the downstream portion and the diameter of the upstream portion is substantially constant along the length of the upstream portion. 
     
     
         3 . The replacement heart valve of  claim 1 , wherein the downstream end of each leaflet is positioned upstream of the frame engagement zone. 
     
     
         4 . The replacement heart valve of  claim 1 , wherein the downstream end of each leaflet is positioned downstream of the frame engagement zone. 
     
     
         5 . The replacement heart valve of  claim 1 , wherein the frame engagement zone is positioned along the downstream portion of the frame. 
     
     
         6 . The replacement heart valve of  claim 1 , wherein the engagement system comprises a set of upstream anchors and a set of downstream anchors, each anchor comprising an anchor tip, and the frame engagement zone is defined between the tips of the upstream and downstream anchors. 
     
     
         7 . The replacement heart valve of  claim 6 , wherein a diameter defined by the tips of the upstream anchors is approximately equal to a diameter defined by the tips of the downstream anchors. 
     
     
         8 . The replacement heart valve of  claim 6 , wherein the downstream anchors extend from the downstream portion of the expandable frame and the upstream anchors extend from an area of the frame having a diameter less than the downstream portion. 
     
     
         9 . The replacement heart valve of  claim 8 , wherein the upstream anchors extend from the upstream portion of the expandable frame. 
     
     
         10 . The replacement heart valve of  claim 8 , wherein the upstream anchors extend from the transition portion of the expandable frame. 
     
     
         11 . The replacement heart valve of  claim 8 , wherein the engagement zone is positioned along the downstream portion of the frame. 
     
     
         12 . The replacement heart valve of  claim 8 , wherein the upstream anchors comprise first, second and third spaced apart bending stages along the length of each anchor, and wherein the anchor bends radially outwardly in the first and second bending stages, and radially inwardly in the third bending stage. 
     
     
         13 . The replacement heart valve of  claim 12 , wherein the portion of the anchor between the third bending stage and the anchor tip is generally parallel to an axis of the frame. 
     
     
         14 . A replacement heart valve comprising:
 an expandable frame configured to engage a native valve annulus at an engagement zone along the length of the frame, the expandable frame comprising:
 a foreshortening portion configured to longitudinally contract as the frame radially expands from a compacted to an expanded condition; 
 a plurality of first anchors and a plurality of second anchors, each anchor extending radially outwardly from the frame at an anchor base and terminating at an anchor tip, at least part of the foreshortening portion disposed between the first and second anchor bases, the engagement zone defined between the first and second anchor tips; 
 the first anchors comprising first, second and third spaced apart bending stages along the length of each upstream anchor, and wherein the first anchor is bent radially outwardly in the first and second bending stages, and is bent in an opposite direction in the third bending stage; and 
 a valve body attached to the expandable frame, the valve body comprising a plurality of valve leaflets configured to open to allow flow in a first direction and engage one another so as to close and not allow flow in a second direction opposite the first direction. 
   
     
     
         15 . The replacement heart valve of  claim 14 , wherein the portion of the first anchor between the third bending stage and the anchor tip is generally parallel to an axis of the frame. 
     
     
         16 . The replacement heart valve of  claim 14 , wherein the second anchor comprises first, second and third spaced apart bending stages, and wherein in the first bending stage the anchor is bent radially inwardly, in the second bending stage the anchor is bent radially outwardly, and in the third bending stage the anchor is bent radially inwardly. 
     
     
         17 . The replacement heart valve of  claim 16 , wherein in the second bending stage of the first anchor is bent about 180 degrees. 
     
     
         18 . A replacement heart valve comprising:
 an expandable frame configured to engage a native valve annulus at an engagement zone along the length of the frame, the expandable frame comprising:
 an upstream portion; 
 a downstream portion, a diameter of the downstream portion being different than a diameter of the upstream portion; 
 a transition portion between the upstream and downstream portions; 
 a plurality of upstream anchors and a plurality of downstream anchors, each anchor extending radially outwardly from the frame at an anchor base and terminating at an anchor tip, at least part of a foreshortening portion disposed between the upstream and downstream anchor bases, the engagement zone defined between the upstream and downstream anchor tips; 
 a valve body attached to the expandable frame, the valve body comprising a plurality of valve leaflets configured to open to allow flow in a first direction and engage one another so as to close and not allow flow in a second direction opposite the first direction; 
 wherein the bases of the upstream anchors are disposed at a location along the length of the frame having a first diameter, and the bases of the downstream anchors are disposed at a location along the length of the frame having a second diameter, and the first diameter is different than the second diameter. 
   
     
     
         19 . The replacement heart valve of  claim 18 , wherein the diameter of the downstream portion is greater than the diameter of the upstream portion. 
     
     
         20 . The replacement heart valve of  claim 19 , wherein the bases of the upstream anchors are disposed in the upstream portion, and the bases of the downstream anchors are disposed in the downstream portion. 
     
     
         21 . The replacement heart valve of  claim 19 , wherein the bases of the upstream anchors are disposed in the transition portion, and the bases of the downstream anchors are disposed in the downstream portion.