Sealing members for prosthetic heart valve
An implantable prosthetic valve can include a radially expandable and collapsible annular frame comprising an inflow end and an outflow end and a plurality of struts forming a plurality of cells, where each of the plurality of cells defines an opening in the frame. A leaflet structure can be positioned within the frame and secured thereto. A plurality of sealing members can be secured to the plurality of struts of the frame, where each sealing member of the plurality of sealing members includes two opposite sides that are not secured to the frame to allow blood to flow through each sealing member along a path formed between the frame and the sealing members.
1 . An implantable prosthetic valve comprising:
an annular frame comprising an inflow end, an outflow end, and a plurality of struts forming a plurality of cells, wherein each of the cells defines an opening in the frame, and wherein the frame is radially collapsible and expandable between a radially collapsed configuration and a radially expanded configuration;
a leaflet structure positioned within the frame and secured thereto; and
a plurality of discrete fabric sealing members comprising discrete pieces of fabric that are not connected to each other, wherein the plurality of discrete fabric sealing members are secured to the plurality of struts of the frame, and wherein each piece of fabric includes:
a radially inward facing surface;
a radially outward facing surface;
a first side that is not secured to the frame and defines a first opening into a space defined between the radially inward facing surface and the frame; and
a second side that is not secured to the frame and defines a second opening into the space, wherein the second side is opposite the first side such that a path for blood flow is formed between the first and second openings within the space defined between the radially inward facing surface of each sealing member and the frame, wherein the first and second sides define opposing edges of the radially outward facing surface and the radially inward facing surface,
wherein the first and second sides of each piece of fabric that are not secured to the frame are a first set of two opposite sides of the piece of fabric, wherein each piece of fabric includes a second set of two opposite sides, which include a third side and fourth side, that are secured to the frame, and wherein each of the third side and fourth side extends between and connects the first and second sides,
wherein the third and fourth sides of each piece of fabric are secured to respective first and second struts of the frame with sutures, and
wherein the sutures form multiple stitches along the third and fourth sides and along the first and second struts to which the third and fourth sides are secured.
2 . The prosthetic valve of claim 1 , wherein one or more sealing members of the plurality of sealing members spans multiple cells of the plurality of cells.
3 . The prosthetic valve of claim 2 , wherein, for each piece of fabric, the third side of the piece of fabric extends along a majority of the total length of and is secured to a first strut of a first cell of the multiple cells and the opposite, fourth side of the piece of fabric extends along a majority of the total length of and is secured to a second strut of a second cell of the multiple cells.
4 . The prosthetic valve of claim 3 , wherein the frame comprises multiple rows of cells, wherein the multiple rows are arrayed between the inflow end and the outflow end of the frame with each row extending circumferentially around the frame, and wherein the first cell and the second cell are part of different rows of the multiple rows of cells.
5 . The prosthetic valve of claim 3 , wherein the frame comprises multiple rows of cells, wherein the multiple rows are arrayed between the inflow end and the outflow end of the frame with each row extending circumferentially around the frame, and wherein the first cell and the second cell are part of two different rows of the multiple rows of cells which are adjacent to one another.
6 . The prosthetic valve of claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises multiple rows of cells and wherein each sealing member spans one or more cells of two rows of cells that are arranged closest to the inflow end of the frame, and wherein a surface area of each piece of fabric is sized to cover the one or more cells.
7 . The prosthetic valve of claim 1 , wherein each piece of fabric has a same orientation with respect to the frame and wherein the orientation is a diagonal orientation where each piece of fabric extends diagonally across the frame with each of the first and second sides extending at a non-zero angle relative to a central longitudinal axis of the frame.
8 . The prosthetic valve of claim 1 , wherein a first set of the sealing members of the plurality of sealing members each have a first orientation with respect to the frame and a remainder of the sealing members of the plurality of sealing members that are not in the first set each have a second orientation with respect to the frame that is different from the first orientation, wherein the first orientation and the second orientation are diagonal orientations.
9 . The prosthetic valve of claim 8 , wherein the first orientation is a clockwise orientation and wherein the second orientation is a counter-clockwise orientation.
10 . The prosthetic valve of claim 1 , further comprising an inner skirt arranged around an inner surface of the frame and secured thereto.
11 . The prosthetic valve of claim 10 , wherein the inner skirt comprises a lower edge arranged at the inflow end of the frame and an upper edge that extends toward the outflow end of the frame, past the plurality of sealing members.
12 . The prosthetic valve of claim 1 , wherein each piece of fabric a square or rectangular shape.
13 . The prosthetic valve of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sides define opposing edges of the radially outward facing surface and the radially inward facing surface that are parallel to one another.
14 . The prosthetic valve of claim 1 , wherein, for each piece of fabric, the first and second struts to which the third and fourth sides of the piece of fabric are secured form opposite sides of one of the cells of the frame.