Monocusp valve design

1. A four quadrant frame for an artificial valve prosthesis, each quadrant comprising:

a U-shaped member having a bight and a first end point and a second end point opposite the first end point, and

a supporting arm transversing the U-shaped member,

the quadrants being formed into a tubular structure defining a longitudinal axis, the tubular structure being formed by the U-shaped member of each quadrant being connected to the U-shaped member of an adjacent quadrant in mirror symmetry at a first connection and a second connection; the first connection being between the first end point of each U-shaped member and the second end point of the adjacent U-shaped member, and the second connection being between the bight of each U-shaped member and the bight of the adjacent U-shaped member.

2. The frame of claim 1 , where the frame comprises a shape memory metal.

3. The frame of claim 1 , where the supporting arm comprises a plurality of interconnected struts and bends forming a zigzag pattern.

4. The frame of claim 1 , where the supporting arm comprises two interconnected struts connected by a bend of about 90 degrees.

5. The frame of claim 1 further comprising a joining member at the second connection, where the joining member extends between the bight of each U-shaped member and the bight of the adjacent U-shaped member.

6. The frame of claim 5 , where the joining member defines an orifice between the bight of each U-shaped member and the bight of the adjacent U-shaped member.

7. The frame of claim 1 , where the bight of each U-shaped member comprises a protuberance, and where the second connection is formed between the protuberance of the bight of each U-shaped member and the protuberance of the bight of the adjacent U-shaped member.

8. A four quadrant frame for an artificial valve prosthesis, each quadrant comprising:

a U-shaped member having a bight with a first radius and a first end point and a second end point opposite the first end point; and

a supporting arm transversing the U-shaped member;

the quadrants being formed into a tubular structure defining a longitudinal axis, the tubular structure being formed by the U-shaped member of each quadrant being connected to the U-shaped member of an adjacent quadrant in mirror symmetry at a first connection and a second connection; the first connection being between the first end point of the U-shaped member of each quadrant and the second end point of the U-shaped member of the adjacent quadrant and forming a bend having a second radius that is less than the first radius of the bight; and the second connection being between the bight of the U-shaped member of each quadrant and the bight of the U-shaped member of the adjacent quadrant.

9. The frame of claim 8 , where the second radius of the bend of the first connection is substantially less than the first radius of the bight.

10. The frame of claim 8 , where the second radius of the bend of the first connection is at least one order of magnitude less than the first radius of the bight.

11. The frame of claim 8 , where the frame comprises a shape memory metal.

12. The frame of claim 8 , where the supporting arm comprises a plurality of interconnected struts and bends forming a zigzag pattern.

13. The frame of claim 8 , where the supporting arm comprises two interconnected struts connected by a bend of about 90 degrees.

14. The frame of claim 1 further comprising a joining member at the second connection, where the joining member extends between the bight of each U-shaped member and the bight of the adjacent U-shaped member.

15. The frame of claim 14 , where the joining member defines an orifice between the bight of each U-shaped member and the bight of the adjacent U-shaped member.

16. The frame of claim 8 , where the bight of each U-shaped member comprises a protuberance, and where the second connection is formed between the protuberance of the bight of each U-shaped member and the protuberance of the bight of the adjacent U-shaped member.

17. An artificial valve prosthesis comprising:

four quadrant frame, each quadrant comprising

a U-shaped member having a bight with a first radius and a first end point and a second end point opposite the first end point; and

a supporting arm transversing the U-shaped member;

the quadrants being formed into a tubular structure defining a lumen with longitudinal axis, the tubular structure being formed by the U-shaped member of each quadrant being connected to the U-shaped member of an adjacent quadrant in mirror symmetry at a first connection and a second connection; the first connection being between the first end point of the U-shaped member of each quadrant and the second end point of the U-shaped member of the adjacent quadrant and forming a bend having a second radius that is less than the first radius of the bight; and the second connection being between the bight of the U-shaped member of each quadrant and the bight of the U-shaped member of the adjacent quadrant; and

a valve leaflet comprising a first edge attached to the frame and a second edge attached to the frame, the valve leaflet being positioned within the lumen, where the valve leaflet prevents or permits fluid flow through the lumen.

18. The artificial valve prosthesis of claim 17 , where the valve leaflet comprises a material of small intestine submucosa.

19. A radially-expandable support frame comprising (2n) U-shaped member structures each facing a distal or a proximal end of the support frame, each U-shaped member structure connected to a single longitudinally adjacent U-shaped member facing in an opposite longitudinal direction, as well as two laterally adjacent U-shaped members, where each U-shaped member has a substantially equal radius of curvature, where (n) is an integer of 1-8.