Prosthetic heart valve including stent structure and tissue leaflets, and related methods

1. A method of making a prosthetic heart valve comprising:

providing an annular stent having a plurality of annularly spaced commissure portions, each commissure portion having a tip;

covering each of the tips with a first fabric cover, the first fabric cover not extending to a remainder of the annular stent;

covering the first fabric covers and the remainder of the annular stent with a second fabric cover;

covering the second fabric cover with a first tissue membrane; and

covering the first tissue membrane with a second tissue membrane, the second tissue membrane forming leaflet portions that extend inwardly between the commissure portions.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing step includes cutting the stent from a tube using a laser.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

fixating the second tissue membrane after covering the outside of the first tissue membrane with the second tissue membrane.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second tissue membrane is fixated by holding the leaflet portions inwardly between annularly adjacent ones of the commissure portions.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

shaping the leaflet portions using a die.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

exposing the second tissue membrane to a cross-linking agent.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming a sewing cuff annularly around the stent and axially remote from the commissure tips.

8. A method of making a prosthetic heart valve comprising:

providing an annular stent having a plurality of annularly spaced commissure portions, each commissure portion having a tip;

covering each of the commissure tips with a fabric tip cover;

covering the tip covers and a remainder of the stent with an additional fabric cover;

covering the additional fabric cover with a tissue cover; and

mounting additional tissue around a radially outer surface of the tissue cover, the additional tissue including leaflet portions that extend inwardly between annularly adjacent ones of the commissure portions.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the providing step includes cutting the stent from a tube using a laser.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

subjecting the additional tissue to fixation after the mounting step.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the subjecting step includes:

holding the leaflet portions inwardly between annularly adjacent ones of the commissure portions during the fixation.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the holding step includes providing a shaping surface for shaping the leaflet potions during the fixation.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the subjecting step includes exposing the additional tissue to a cross-linking agent.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

forming a sewing cuff annularly around the stent and axially remote from the commissure tips.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the sewing cuff comprises a ring of filler material.

16. A method of making a prosthetic heart valve comprising:

providing an annular stent having a plurality of annularly spaced commissure portions, a radially inner surface and a radially outer surface;

covering the radially inner surface and the radially outer surface of the stent with a fabric cover;

covering the radially inner surface and the radially outer surface of the fabric cover with a tissue cover; and

securing additional tissue around the radially outer surface of the tissue cover, the additional tissue including leaflet portions that extend inwardly between annularly adjacent ones of the commissure portions.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the stent is made of metal.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the fabric cover comprises polyester fabric.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the tissue cover comprises bovine pericardium tissue.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the additional tissue comprises bovine pericardium tissue.