| abstract |
The prosthetic heart valve (10) (eg, prosthetic aortic valve) can be somewhat compressed around the circumference and can be re-expanded. The compressed state is used for less invasive delivery of the valve into the patient. When the valve reaches the implantation site in the patient, it re-expands to its normal operating size and snaps into the patient's surrounding tissue. The valve includes a stent portion (200) and a ring portion (100), the ring portion being substantially concentric with the stent portion, but downstream from the stent portion in the direction of blood flow through the implantation site. When the valve is implanted, the stent portion fits the patient's tissue at or near the natural annulus, while the ring portion fits tissue downstream from the natural valve site (eg, the aorta). |