| abstract |
A method and apparatus for providing a tricuspid heart valve that can be assembled with autogenous or foreign tissue using a prefabricated kit comprised of two stents that mate together and a sewing ring, one stent inside or below the other, with the tissue clamped between the stents. The inner or lower stent has a scalloped wall to provide three equally spaced peaks extending from an annular base. The stents may have interlocking means at or near their base to not only lock them together, but also to clamp the tissue in place more securely. In the case of having the one stent inside the other, both stents may have a scalloped wall. The tissue is first placed over the inner stent, then after the outer stent is placed over the tissue, excess tissue is trimmed. The mated stents secure the tissue securely in place. The outer stent may have a ledge along its upper edge overhanging the inner stent to clamp the tissue. In the case of having one stent below the other, the upper stent may be a short cylinder scalloped at both ends to fit as a cap over the lower stent. Alternatively, the upper stent may be formed from three sections of bent rods welded at the peaks. In either case, the upper stent fits closely as a cap over the lower stent, and the lower stent may have an annular base or a scalloped base. In each embodiment, the stents may be made of thermoplastic material and covered by fabric that is thermobonded, i.e., secured to the stents by applying heat and pressure to at least selected areas. |