Stents for Prosthetic Heart Valves

Abstract

A stented valve including a stent structure including a generally tubular body portion having a first end, a second end, an interior area, a longitudinal axis, and a plurality of vertical wires extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis around a periphery of the body portion, wherein the plurality of vertical wires includes multiple commissure wires and at least one structural wire positioned between adjacent commissure wires, and a plurality of V-shaped wire structures having a first end, a second end, and a peak between the first and second ends, wherein a first end of each V-shaped structure extends from a first vertical wire and a second end of each V-shaped structure extends from a second vertical wire that is adjacent to the first vertical wire, wherein each V-shaped structure is oriented so that its peak is facing in the same direction relative to the first and second ends of the body portion, and a valve structure including a plurality of leaflets attached to the stent structure within the tubular body portion.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A prosthetic valve comprising:
 a stent including a central longitudinal axis and plurality of posts extending generally parallel to the central longitudinal axis around a periphery of the stent, wherein the plurality of posts include a plurality of commissure posts, wherein each of the plurality of commissure posts includes a first strut parallel to the central longitudinal axis and a second strut parallel to the central longitudinal axis, wherein the first strut and the second strut are spaced circumferentially from each other to form a longitudinal gap between the first strut and the second strut; and   a valve structure including a plurality of leaflets attached to the plurality of commissure posts,   wherein a first leaflet and an adjacent second leaflet of the plurality of leaflets extend through the longitudinal gap in one of the plurality of commissure posts and are attached to the one commissure post.   
     
     
         17 . The prosthetic valve of  claim 16 , wherein the stent further includes a longitudinal member disposed outside of the one commissure post relative to the central longitudinal axis, wherein the longitudinal member includes a longitudinal opening through which the first and second leaflets extend. 
     
     
         18 . The prosthetic valve of  claim 16 ,
 wherein the stent further includes a longitudinal member disposed outside of the one commissure post relative to the central longitudinal axis, wherein the longitudinal member includes a longitudinal opening,   wherein the first leaflet extends through the longitudinal gap in the one commissure post away from the central longitudinal axis, extends to the longitudinal opening in the longitudinal member, wraps around the longitudinal member in a first direction, and extends back through the longitudinal gap in the one commissure post towards the central longitudinal axis, and   wherein the second leaflet extends through the longitudinal gap in the one commissure post away from the central longitudinal axis, extends to the longitudinal opening in the longitudinal member, wraps around the longitudinal member in a second direction opposite the first direct, and extends back through the longitudinal gap in the one commissure towards the central longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         19 . The prosthetic valve of  claim 16 , wherein the stent further includes a longitudinal member disposed outside of the one commissure post relative to the central longitudinal axis, wherein the longitudinal member includes a first longitudinal opening and a second longitudinal opening, wherein the first leaflet extends through first longitudinal opening and the second leaflet extends through the second longitudinal opening. 
     
     
         20 . The prosthetic valve of  claim 16 ,
 wherein the stent further includes a longitudinal member disposed outside of the one commissure post relative to the central longitudinal axis, wherein the longitudinal member includes a first longitudinal opening and a second longitudinal opening,   wherein the first leaflet extends through the longitudinal gap in the one commissure post away from the central longitudinal axis, extends to the first longitudinal opening in the longitudinal member, wraps around the longitudinal member in a first direction, and extends back through the longitudinal gap in the one commissure post towards the central longitudinal axis, and   wherein the second leaflet extends through the longitudinal gap in the one commissure post away from the central longitudinal axis, extends to the second longitudinal opening in the longitudinal member, wraps around the longitudinal member in a second direction opposite the first direct, and extends back through the longitudinal gap in the one commissure towards the central longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         21 . A prosthetic valve comprising:
 a valve support structure including a first end, a second end, an interior area, a longitudinal axis, and a plurality of longitudinal wires extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis around a periphery of the valve support structure, wherein the plurality of longitudinal wires includes multiple commissure support structures and at least one structural wire positioned between adjacent commissure support structures, and at least three rows of V-shaped wire structures having a first end, a second end, and a peak between the first and second ends, wherein a first end of each V-shaped structure extends from a first longitudinal wire and a second end of each V-shaped structure extends from a second longitudinal wire that is adjacent to the first longitudinal wire, wherein one of the at least three rows of V-shaped wire structures is attached to a proximal-most end of each of the commissure support structures; and   a valve structure attached to the multiple commissure support structures.   
     
     
         22 . The prosthetic valve of  claim 21 , wherein the peaks are all oriented in the same direction. 
     
     
         23 . The prosthetic valve of  claim 21 , further comprising an outer member attached to a first end of the valve support structure, wherein an inner surface of the outer member is spaced radially from an outer surface of the valve support structure. 
     
     
         24 . The prosthetic valve of  claim 23 , wherein the outer member includes a first end attached to the first end of the valve support structure and a second end that is unattached to the valve support structure. 
     
     
         25 . The prosthetic valve of  claim 23 , wherein the outer member is a sealing skirt.