Heart Valve Stent

Abstract

A heart valve stent having a section equipped to receive a heart valve implant and several proximally disposed anchoring elements, characterized by several anchoring threads, which with the one end thereof are fastened to the stent, and also with a brace fastening the anchoring threads with the other end thereof to the distal chamber wall to provide tension between the heart chamber wall and the proximally anchored anchoring elements.

1 . A heart valve stent comprising: a body section equipped to receive a heart valve implant; a plurality of proximally disposed anchoring elements; a plurality of anchoring threads, each having a first end portion is attached to the stent, and a second end portion; and a thrust bearing for securing the second end portions of the plurality of anchoring threads to a distal heart chamber wall and the proximally disposed anchoring elements wherein the heart valve stent is formed as a truncated cone. 
     
     
         2 . The heart valve stent according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of anchoring threads are affixed to an end portion of the stent body section that opposes the plurality of anchoring elements 
     
     
         3 . The heart valve stent according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one suture-length regulatory element for adjusting a length of at least one of the plurality of anchoring threads. 
     
     
         4 . The heart valve stent according to  claim 1 , wherein the thrust bearing constitutes a suture-length regulatory element. 
     
     
         5 . The heart valve stent according to  claim 1 , further comprising a heart valve implant received in the body section. 
     
     
         6 . The heart valve stent according to  claim 10 , wherein, in a plane of the mitral valve, an annulus of the heart valve stent is substantially oval or u-shaped. 
     
     
         7 . The heart valve stent according to  claim 5 , further comprising a sealing membrane adapted to be arranged between the heart valve implant and the stent. 
     
     
         8 . The heart valve stent according to  claim 5 , further comprising a sealing membrane arranged between the plurality of anchoring elements and the heart valve implant. 
     
     
         9 . The heart valve stent according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of anchoring elements is made from shape memory alloy. 
     
     
         10 . The heart valve stent according to  claim 5 , wherein the heart valve implant constitutes a mitral valve. 
     
     
         11 . A prosthetic mitral valve assembly, comprising: a radially-expandable stent including an outflow portion sized to be held in place by leaflets of a native mitral valve and an inflow portion having a flared end, the flared end sized to implant above or below an annulus of the mitral valve with a pressure or friction fit, wherein the stent substantially smoothly tapers from the flared end to an opposite end of the stent, the stent having a lumen extending therethrough, the lumen having an inflow diameter at the inflow portion and an outflow diameter at the outflow portion and wherein the inflow diameter is larger than the outflow diameter; and a valve portion shaped to fit the contours of the stent and coupled to the stent, the valve portion comprising prosthetic leaflets and elongate flexible tension members, each of the tension members coupled at a first end to one of the prosthetic leaflets and configured to be coupled at an opposite end to a patient's heart for preventing eversion of the prosthetic leaflets during ventricular contraction. 
     
     
         12 . The prosthetic mitral valve assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the mitral valve assembly is adapted to expand into contact with the native mitral valve tissue to create the pressure or friction fit and secure the mitral valve assembly in a fixed position in the heart. 
     
     
         13 . The prosthetic mitral valve assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the prosthetic leaflets form a bicuspid or tricuspid valve. 
     
     
         14 . The prosthetic mitral valve assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the stent has a truncated conical shape. 
     
     
         15 . The prosthetic mitral valve assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the stent and the valve portion are collapsible to a reduced diameter for insertion into the heart on a delivery catheter for implantation. 
     
     
         16 . A prosthetic mitral valve assembly, comprising: a radially-expandable stent including a portion sized to be held in place by leaflets of a native mitral valve; and a valve portion coupled to the stent, the valve portion comprising prosthetic leaflets; elongate flexible tension members, each of the tension members having a first end coupled to one of the prosthetic leaflets and an opposite end adapted to be coupled to an inner wall of the left ventricle of a patient's heart for preventing eversion of the prosthetic leaflets during ventricular contraction, each leaflet coupled to a group of tension members, each group of tension members comprising a plurality of tension members, the opposite end of each tension member of each group adapted to be secured at spaced apart locations to an inner wall of the left ventricle, and a tensioning block corresponding to each group of tension members, each of the plurality of tension members of each group extending through the corresponding tensioning block, each tensioning block slidable upwards and downwards along the corresponding group of tension members to adjust a tension thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The prosthetic mitral valve assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the mitral valve assembly is adapted to expand into contact with the native mitral valve tissue to create the pressure or friction fit and secure the mitral valve assembly in a fixed position in the heart. 
     
     
         18 . The prosthetic mitral valve assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the prosthetic leaflets form a bicuspid or tricuspid valve. 
     
     
         19 . The prosthetic mitral valve assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the stent and the valve portion are collapsible to a reduced diameter for insertion into the heart on a delivery catheter for implantation. 
     
     
         20 . The prosthetic mitral valve assembly of  claim 16 , wherein each tension member attaches to the corresponding leaflet at a point adjacent the outflow edge of the leaflet. 
     
     
         21 . A prosthetic mitral valve assembly, comprising: a radially-expandable stent including an outflow portion sized to be held in place by leaflets of a native mitral valve with a pressure or friction fit and an inflow portion having a flared end with a truncated conical shape, the flared end sized to be implanted above or below an annulus of the mitral valve with a pressure or friction fit, wherein the inflow portion has a larger flow area than the outflow portion and the stent has a substantially smooth and continuous taper from the flared end to an opposite end of the stent; and a valve portion shaped to fit the continuous taper of the stent and coupled to the stent, the valve portion having three prosthetic leaflets and three groups of two elongate flexible tension members, wherein each group of two tension members member is coupled to one of the prosthetic leaflets at a first end and each tension member comprises an anchor adapted to be coupled to a patient's heart along the wall of the ventricle at the opposite end, wherein each group of two tension members member has at least one slidable tension block configured to be positioned within the left ventricle between the first ends end and the second ends end of the group of two tension members, with the group of two tension members extending therethrough and slidable therealong used to adjust a the tension applied to each leaflet and wherein the tension members reduce stress on the prosthetic leaflets and prevent eversion during ventricular contraction. 
     
     
         22 . The prosthetic mitral valve assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the tension members are made of polyurethane. 
     
     
         23 . The prosthetic mitral valve assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the anchor of each tension member comprises a plurality of prongs that can grab, penetrate, and/or engage surrounding tissue to secure the device in place.