Replacement heart valve assembly
A replacement heart valve assembly. An expandable anchor is disclosed that has a skirt region, a lip region, and a plurality of posts attached to the skirt region. A replacement heart valve is attached to the posts. The lip region has interlocking elements that are secured to the posts where the interlocking elements have eyelets. Tabs extend into the eyelets to mate with holes in the posts.
1. A replacement heart valve assembly, comprising:
an expandable anchor having a delivery configuration and a fully deployed configuration, the expandable anchor comprising a skirt region, a lip region, and a plurality of posts, each of the posts attached to the skirt region; in the delivery configuration, the expandable anchor having a first diameter and a first length and in the fully deployed configuration having a second diameter and a second length, wherein the first length is greater than the second length and the second diameter is greater than the first diameter;
a replacement valve within the expandable anchor, the replacement valve attached to the posts;
the lip region defining a plurality of interlocking elements, the posts secured to the interlocking elements when the expandable anchor is in the fully deployed configuration and detached from the interlocking elements when the expandable anchor is in the delivery configuration;
wherein the interlocking elements define eyelets through which a portion of the posts extend when the expandable anchor is in the fully deployed configuration;
wherein the interlocking elements comprise tabs extending into the eyelets;
wherein the posts define holes that mate with the tabs when the expandable anchor is in the fully deployed configuration.
2. The replacement heart valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the expandable anchor is braided.
3. The replacement heart valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the expandable anchor is formed from a shape memory material.
4. The replacement heart valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the replacement valve comprises a plurality of valve leaflets.
5. The replacement heart valve of claim 4 , wherein the valve leaflets are joined to one another at the posts.