Prosthetic mitral valve coaptation enhancement device

1. A prosthetic mitral valve coaptation enhancement device for implanting at the native mitral valve region of a heart, wherein the native mitral valve, having a native annulus and native valve leaflets, can still perform a closing movement, and wherein the prosthetic mitral valve coaptation enhancement device comprising:

a main body consisting of a stentframe and a valve element attached thereto, the main body comprising a length and a lumen being defined by a proximal end and a distal end, and configured for placement within the native mitral valve region of the heart, the stentframe being radially compressible to a radially compressed state for delivery into the heart and self-expandable from the compressed state to a radially expanded state, wherein the main body has a sealing section and a valve-bearing section, the valve-bearing section carrying a valve element:

wherein

the shape of the sealing section of the main body, when compressed by the native valve leaflets, has a form that is adapted to the coaptation zone of the native mitral valve during systole, that

in the sealing section of the main body, the radial rigidity of the stentframe is lower than the radial rigidity of the valve-bearing section; and that

the sealing section of the main body is configured such that it is smaller than the native annulus of the heart into which the prosthetic mitral valve coaptation enhancement device is to be implanted and such that it contacts the native leaflets only during systole, thereby sealing the mitral annulus during systole and permitting filling of the ventricle through and alongside the prosthetic mitral valve coaptation enhancement device during diastole, thereby minimizing the gradient between the left atrium and ventricle;

and that the prosthetic mitral valve coaptation enhancement device further comprises at least one substantially rigid anchoring element, which anchoring element is coupled to the main body and is capable to anchor the main body within the native mitral valve region of a heart.

2. The prosthetic mitral valve coaptation enhancement device of claim 1 , wherein the stentframe in the sealing section, in its expanded state, is substantially circular, D- or crescent-shaped and is adapted to the shape of and designed to be placed at the coaptation line of the native valve, wherein the crescent-shape transitions along the length of the main body towards the ventricular section into a substantially round shape.

3. The prosthetic mitral valve coaptation enhancement device of claim 1 , wherein the stentframe in the sealing section consists of a flexible structure such, that, in the compressed state, it conforms to the coaptation zone of the native mitral valve during systole, wherein the stentframe, in the sealing section, has a flexibility and rigidity that is lower than the flexibility and rigidity of the valve-bearing section.

4. The prosthetic mitral valve coaptation enhancement device of claim 1 , wherein it has a size enabling the sealing section being positionable at the level of the native mitral valve leaflets and the valve-bearing section being positionable distally in the left ventricle.

5. The prosthetic mitral valve coaptation enhancement device of claim 1 , comprising a combination of one or more of the anchoring elements as defined in claim 4 .

6. The prosthetic mitral valve coaptation enhancement device of claim 1 , wherein the anchoring element comprises one or more lengthy substantially rigid connecting elements, the connecting elements comprising a first end, a second end and a length extending there between, wherein the connecting elements, via its/their respective first end/s is/are coupled to the valve-bearing section via the distal outflow end of the main body, and, via its/their respective second end/s, is/are coupleable to the ventricular apex.

7. The prosthetic mitral valve coaptation enhancement device of claim 6 , wherein the second end of the anchoring element is coupled to a plug element, which is sized and configured to be positionable in the ventricular apex of the heart, thereby piercing the apex.

8. The prosthetic mitral valve coaptation enhancement device of claim 6 , wherein the anchoring element comprises one lengthy substantially rigid connecting element.

9. The prosthetic mitral valve coaptation enhancement device of claim 6 , wherein the anchoring element comprises three lengthy substantially rigid connecting elements.