Stents for Prosthetic Heart Valves

Abstract

A stented valve including a generally tubular stent structure that has a longitudinal axis, first and second opposite ends, a plurality of commissure support structures spaced from the first and second ends and extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis, at least one structural wire positioned between each two adjacent commissure support structures, and at least one wing portion extending from two adjacent commissure support structures and toward one of the first and second ends of the stent structure. The stented valve further includes a valve structure attached within the generally tubular stent structure to the commissure support structures.

1 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A prosthetic valve comprising:
 a stent structure comprising a generally tubular structure having an interior area and a longitudinal axis, the stent structure comprising;
 an inflow portion including an inflow wire pattern forming a plurality of rows of inflow openings, 
 an outflow portion including an outflow wire pattern forming at least one row of outflow openings, and 
 a central portion defined between the inflow portion and the outflow portion, the central portion including a central wire pattern forming a plurality of central portion openings, the plurality of central portion openings including at least one enlarged central portion opening, wherein the at least one enlarged central portion opening is larger than each of the inflow openings and each of the outflow openings; and 
   a valve structure attached to the stent structure,   wherein the at least one enlarged central portion opening is configured to be positioned at a corresponding native coronary ostium so as not to obstruct blood flow entering the coronary ostium.   
     
     
         25 . The prosthetic valve of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one enlarged central portion opening comprises a plurality of enlarged central portion openings, wherein at least one of the plurality of enlarged central portion openings is configured to be positioned at a corresponding native coronary ostium so as not to obstruct blood flow entering the coronary ostium. 
     
     
         26 . The prosthetic valve of  claim 24 , wherein each of the inflow openings is diamond-shaped. 
     
     
         27 . The prosthetic valve of  claim 26 , wherein each of the outflow openings is diamond-shaped. 
     
     
         28 . The prosthetic valve of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one enlarged central portion opening is diamond-shaped. 
     
     
         29 . The prosthetic valve of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one enlarged central portion opening is hexagon-shaped. 
     
     
         30 . The prosthetic valve of  claim 25 , wherein at least two of the enlarged central portion openings are configured to be positioned at corresponding native coronary ostia so as not to obstruct blood flow entering the corresponding native coronary ostia. 
     
     
         31 . The prosthetic valve of  claim 24 , wherein the stent structure is rotatable in vivo to allow the stent structure to be positioned in a desired orientation. 
     
     
         32 . The prosthetic valve of  claim 24 , wherein the central portion comprises a plurality of rows of enlarged central portion openings. 
     
     
         33 . The prosthetic valve of  claim 32 , wherein the enlarged central portion openings are offset along a length of the stent to be arranged in a zig-zag pattern around a circumference on the stent structure. 
     
     
         34 . The prosthetic valve of  claim 25 , wherein the central portion further includes non-enlarged central openings, wherein each of the plurality of enlarged central openings is larger than each of the non-enlarged central openings. 
     
     
         35 . The prosthetic valve of  claim 25 , further comprising a first imaging marker coupled to the stent at a location where a first enlarged central opening and a second enlarged central opening of the plurality of enlarged central openings intersect. 
     
     
         36 . The prosthetic valve of  claim 35 , further comprising a second imaging marker coupled to the stent at an inflow end of the second enlarged central opening such that the second imaging marker is closer to an inflow end of the prosthetic valve than the first imaging marker is to the inflow end of the prosthetic valve. 
     
     
         37 . The prosthetic valve of  claim 36 , wherein the first imaging marker is circumferentially offset from the second imaging marker. 
     
     
         38 . A method of deploying a prosthetic valve at a native valve comprising:
 delivering the prosthetic valve including a stent structure and a valve structure to a site of the native valve, wherein the stent structure includes a plurality of enlarged cells and a plurality of non-enlarged cells;   aligning a first enlarged cell of the plurality of enlarged cells of the stent structure with a first native coronary ostium of the native valve; and   deploying the prosthetic valve at the site of the native valve.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the native valve is a native aortic valve. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein aligning the first enlarged cell with the first native coronary ostium comprises rotating the stent structure in vivo to align the first enlarged cell with the first native coronary ostium. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising aligning a second enlarged cell of the plurality of enlarged cell with a second native coronary ostium of the native valve. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein aligning the second enlarged cell with the second native coronary ostium comprises rotating the stent structure in vivo to align the second enlarged cell with the second native coronary ostium. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein aligning the first enlarged cell with the first native coronary ostium comprises visualizing an imaging marker coupled to the stent structure on an imaging system to verify proper placement of the prosthetic valve.