Stent for the positioning and anchoring of a valvular prosthesis in an implantation site in the heart of a patient

Abstract

A method of placing an implant including a stent at a native heart valve site includes orienting an expandable body of the stent such that a first open end of the stent is upstream a second open end of the stent relative to a direction of blood flow through a native heart valve. The native heart valve includes native leaflets and an annulus. The method also includes radially expanding a plurality of positioning arches positioned around an outer perimeter of the expandable body. The method additionally includes inserting the plurality of positioning arches respectively within a plurality of pockets defined by leaflets of the native heart valve and a heart structure from which the native leaflets extend. The method further includes radially expanding the first open end of the stent into a position upstream of the annulus and out of contact with nerve bundles.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A stent-valve prosthesis for implantation at a patient's native heart valve, the stent-valve prosthesis comprising:
 a stent comprising at least one positioning structure comprising a first end coupled to the stent and a second end that is freestanding and comprises a radio opaque marker; and   a prosthetic valve coupled to the stent and comprising a plurality of leaflets;   wherein the second end of the at least one positioning structure is configured to at least partially expand to engage a pocket defined by a native leaflet of the native heart valve thereby aligning the prosthetic valve with patient's native heart valve.   
     
     
         2 . The stent-valve prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein the stent comprises at least two positioning structures. 
     
     
         3 . The stent-valve prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein the stent further comprises at least one retaining arch. 
     
     
         4 . The stent-valve prosthesis of  claim 3 , wherein the second end of the at least one positioning structure is configured to engage an outflow side of the native leaflet of the native heart valve and the retaining arch is configured to engage an inflow side of the native leaflet. 
     
     
         5 . The stent-valve prosthesis of  claim 3 , wherein the positioning structure is a positioning arch having a first apex and the retaining arch has a second apex. 
     
     
         6 . The stent-valve prosthesis of  claim 5 , wherein the first apex is oriented towards a first end of the stent and the second apex is oriented towards a second end of the stent opposite the first end of the stent. 
     
     
         7 . The stent-valve prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one positioning structure is three positioning structures equally spaced around the stent, the three positioning structures each comprising a first end coupled to the stent and a second end that is freestanding and comprises a radio opaque marker. 
     
     
         8 . The stent-valve prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein the stent further comprises a row of cells forming an annular collar at an end of the stent. 
     
     
         9 . The stent-valve prosthesis of  claim 8 , wherein the row of cells comprises an annular cross-sectional shape and is configured to form a seal between the stent-valve prosthesis and a vascular wall of the native heart valve. 
     
     
         10 . The stent valve prosthesis of  claim 8 , wherein the row of cells anchors the stent-valve prosthesis to the native heart valve. 
     
     
         11 . The stent valve prosthesis of  claim 8 , wherein the annular collar comprises a plurality of eyelets. 
     
     
         12 . A stent-valve prosthesis for implantation at a patient's native heart valve, the stent-valve prosthesis comprising:
 a stent comprising at least one positioning structure comprising a first end coupled to the stent and a second end that is freestanding and comprises a radio opaque marker, the stent further comprising a supporting structure comprising a plurality of struts; and   a prosthetic valve coupled to the stent and comprising a plurality of leaflets;   wherein the second end of the at least one positioning structure is configured to at least partially expand from a collapsed state to engage an outflow side of a native leaflet of the native heart valve and the supporting structure is configured to fully expand to engage an inflow side of the native leaflet.   
     
     
         13 . The stent-valve prosthesis of  claim 12 , wherein the stent comprises at least two positioning structures. 
     
     
         14 . The stent-valve prosthesis of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one positioning structure is a positioning arch. 
     
     
         15 . The stent-valve prosthesis of  claim 12 , wherein the stent further comprises at least one retaining arch. 
     
     
         16 . The stent-valve prosthesis of  claim 12 , wherein the second end of the at least one positioning structure is configured to at least partially expand to engage a pocket defined by a native leaflet of the native heart valve thereby aligning the prosthetic valve with patient's native heart valve. 
     
     
         17 . The stent-valve prosthesis of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one positioning structure is three positioning structures equally spaced around the stent, the three positioning structures each comprising a first end coupled to the stent and a second end that is freestanding and comprises a radio opaque marker. 
     
     
         18 . The stent-valve prosthesis of  claim 12 , wherein the stent further comprises a row of cells forming an annular collar at an end of the stent. 
     
     
         19 . The stent-valve prosthesis of  claim 18 , wherein the row of cells comprises an annular cross-sectional shape and is configured to form a seal between the stent-valve prosthesis and a vascular wall of the native heart valve. 
     
     
         20 . The stent valve prosthesis of  claim 18 , wherein the row of cells anchors the stent-valve prosthesis to the native heart valve. 
     
     
         21 . The stent valve prosthesis of  claim 18 , wherein the annular collar comprises a plurality of eyelets. 
     
     
         22 . The stent valve prosthesis of  claim 18 , wherein the end of the stent is flared outwards.