Granted Patent B2

US 12,636,146 · App. 17/338,968 · Granted May 26, 2026

Inventor: Jeffrey W. Chambers (Maple Grove, MN)

Assignee: 4C Medical Technologies, Inc.

A61F2/2418A61F2/24A61F2/2409A61F2/2412A61F2/2442A61F2/2487A61F2/2445A61F2/2454A61F2/2463A61F2/2469A61F2210/0014A61F2230/0069A61F2250/0048

Abstract

Claims (44)

1 . A prosthetic heart valve device for expanded implantation within a heart chamber that is in fluid communication with a native valve having leaflets, the device comprising:

a base section defining a base section lower surface;

an atrial dome that is configured to be in pressured engagement with a roof of the heart chamber when the device is expanded and implanted in the heart chamber;

an intermediate section that extends from the base section to the atrial dome; and

a valve support extending within an interior defined by the base, the atrial dome and the intermediate section, wherein:

the valve support defines:

a valve support lower surface; and

a height;

the valve support lower surface extends from the base section lower surface; and

the valve support:

includes at least one prosthetic valve leaflet that allows blood to flow therethrough in an antegrade direction while preventing blood flow therethrough in a retrograde direction; and

wherein the at least one prosthetic valve leaflet is attached to the valve support at a location along the height that is above the valve support lower surface.

2 . The device of claim 1 wherein the base section comprises a shape memory material.

3 . The device of claim 1 further comprising a material covering at least a portion of an outside surface of the base section.

4 . The device of claim 1 wherein the device, when expanded in the heart chamber, is configured to achieve a plurality of expanded configurations.

5 . The device of claim 1 wherein the heart chamber is a left atrium and the native valve is a mitral valve.

6 . The device of claim 1 wherein the heart chamber is a right atrium and the native valve is a tricuspid valve.

7 . The device of claim 1 wherein the device, when implanted in the heart chamber, is configured to have no structural engagement with the leaflets.

8 . The device of claim 5 wherein the device, when implanted in the heart chamber, is configured to have no structural engagement with the leaflets.

9 . The device of claim 5 , wherein the device, when implanted in the heart chamber, is configured to have no structural presence within a left ventricle.

10 . The device of claim 5 wherein the device, when implanted in the heart, is configured to have no structural presence within a pulmonary artery.

11 . A method for preserving functionality of a at least partially malfunctioning heart valve by implanting a prosthetic heart valve device within a heart chamber, the method comprising:

providing the device of claim 1 ;

expanding and implanting the device within the heart chamber; and

preserving remaining native functionality of the heart valve by implanting the device.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the heart chamber is a left atrium and the heart valve is a mitral valve comprising native leaflets.

13 . The method of claim 12 wherein the device, when implanted in the heart chamber, is configured to have no structural presence in, or engagement with, the mitral valve or with a left ventricle.

14 . The method of claim 11 wherein the device, when implanted in the heart chamber, is configured to have no structural presence in, or engagement with, a pulmonary artery.

15 . A method for replacing heart valve functionality of a heart valve by implanting a prosthetic heart valve device within a heart chamber, the method comprising:

providing the device of claim 1 ;

expanding and implanting the device within the heart chamber; and

replacing the heart valve functionality by implanting the device.

16 . The method of claim 15 wherein the heart chamber is a left atrium and the heart valve is a mitral valve comprising leaflets.

17 . The method of claim 16 wherein the device, when implanted in the heart chamber, is configured to have no structural engagement with the mitral valve or a left ventricle.

18 . The method of claim 15 wherein the device, when implanted in the heart chamber, is configured to have no structural presence in, or engagement with, a pulmonary artery.

19 . The device of claim 1 wherein the device, when expanded and implanted, is configured to sit in an annulus and pin back the leaflets.

20 . The device of claim 1 wherein the intermediate section comprises an expandable mesh.

21 . The device of claim 1 wherein the base section comprises a stent.

22 . The device of claim 20 wherein the base section comprises a stent.

23 . The device of claim 1 wherein the atrial dome comprises molded material.

24 . The device of claim 20 wherein the atrial dome:

comprises molded material; and

is connected to the expandable mesh.

25 . The device of claim 1 wherein the base section, when expanded and implanted, is configured to sit in an annulus.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (5)

References Cited (400)