Abstract: A mitral valve prosthesis consists of a support housing (stent) with a base ring that bears at least two stays which substantially extend in the ring axis direction and are connected by curved wall for securing two flexible cusps. In order to obtain as uniform and reduced forces as possible between the cusps and the support housing, the connection lines between the cusps (21 to 23) and the top inner edge (241) of the wall (24) lie each in a plane.

Abstract: A mitral valve prosthesis consists of a support housing with a large base ring that bears two stays which substantially extend in the ring axis direction and are connected by curved walls for securing two flexible cusps. The free ends of the stays form an inner support for the cusps. In order to avoid a possible mutual interference between the heart and valve functions, the base-ring (12) has in the top view a closed, non-round shape with a common longitudinal axis (15) but two transverse half-axis (16, 17) of different sizes. The stays (18, 19) lie on the longitudinal axis (15) and form the transition between the two halves of the valve. The less curved wall (13) carries a mural cusp (11) having a smaller surface and a higher angle of inclination relative to the base ring base surface than the more curved wall (14).

Abstract: A support housing (1) for valve and closure members, in particular for heart valve prostheses, has a base ring (2) which carries at least two symmetrically offset posts (4/5) substantially oriented in the direction of the ring axis and linked together by curved strips (3) for securing at least two flexible webs (6/7). In order to produce with such a support housing a valve or closure member, in particular a heart valve prosthesis, which operates reliably even with different closing pressure differentials, i.e. in particular even under varying physiological stress conditions, the stent (1) is only retained in sections and with limited flexibility. For that purpose the free ends (4) of the posts have a rigid form, and/or the bases of the posts have a flexibility limited by stops, and/or the strips (3) have a flexibility limited by stops.