Abstract: The techniques of this disclosure generally relate to a valve prosthesis including a one-piece molded valve comprising commissures and reinforcement members applied to the commissures. The reinforcement members provide reinforcement and strength to the commissures, e.g., from the stress applied by commissure stitching on the commissures.

Abstract: An assembly includes a medical device having a stent and a prosthetic valve connected to the stent. The prosthetic valve includes valve leaflets. The assembly further includes a buffer piece having a leaflet cover and a removable attaching structure. The leaflet cover protects the valve leaflets and the removable attaching structure removably attaches the buffer piece to the medical device. The buffer piece prevents contact, imprinting, abrasion, and/or damage to the valve leaflets.

Abstract: The techniques of this disclosure generally relate to a valve prosthesis having a prosthetic valve, a stent structure, and anti-migration spikes. The stent structure is coupled to the prosthetic valve and includes an inflow portion. The anti-migration spikes are attached to the inflow portion, the anti-migration spikes protruding radially outward and in an outflow direction from the inflow portion. The anti-migration spikes penetrate into tissue of the vessel, e.g., the aortic annulus of a patient's left ventricle, to prevent migration, i.e., undesirable movement, of the valve prosthesis within the vessel after deployment.

Abstract: The techniques of this disclosure generally relate to a valve prosthesis having a one piece molded prosthetic valve and a reinforcement member attached to the prosthetic valve directly adjacent a cylindrical inflow end of the prosthetic valve. The reinforcement member is additional material outside the leaflet belly region that gets attached directly to a stent structure to provide reinforcement and durability of the prosthetic valve.

Abstract: The techniques of this disclosure generally relate to a valve prosthesis including a one-piece molded valve having valve leaflets with free edges in a chevron down pattern. By forming the free edges in a chevron down pattern, pinwheeling of the prosthetic valve and the associated stress on the prosthetic valve is reduced.

Abstract: The techniques of this disclosure generally relate to a valve prosthesis include a prosthetic valve, a stent structure having suture slots, an outer skirt, and outer skirt sutures. The outer skirt sutures attach the outer skirt to the stent structure. The outer skirt sutures are located within the suture slots. By recessing the outer skirt sutures within the suture slots below an inner surface of the stent structure, contact between the outer skirt sutures and valve leaflets of the prosthetic valve is avoided. By avoiding contact between the outer skirt sutures and the valve leaflets, damage to the valve leaflets due to abrasive contact with the outer skirt sutures is prevented.

Abstract: A transcatheter heart valve prosthesis and a method of assembling the transcatheter heart valve prosthesis are disclosed. The heart valve prosthesis includes a valve-skirt assembly having an inner skirt, a frame, an outer wrap backing and an outer wrap. The method includes: tacking the valve-skirt assembly within the frame; attaching the inner skirt below commissure posts of the frame; attaching commissures of the valve component to the commissure posts; attaching a plurality of outer wrap backings to the inner skirt; attaching the outer wrap backings and the inner skirt to the frame; attaching tissue bumpers to struts in an outflow section of the frame; attaching an outer wrap and the inner skirt to the frame; attaching the outer wrap to the inner skirt proximate inflow edges thereof; and attaching the outer wrap to the inner skirt and to the outer wrap backings proximate respective outflow edges thereof.

Abstract: An assembly includes a medical device having a stent and a prosthetic valve connected to the stent. The prosthetic valve includes valve leaflets. The assembly further includes a buffer piece having a leaflet cover and a removable attaching structure. The leaflet cover protects the valve leaflets and the removable attaching structure removably attaches the buffer piece to the medical device. The buffer piece prevents contact, imprinting, abrasion, and/or damage to the valve leaflets.

Abstract: A leaflet folding accessory or tool configured for use with a crimper when radially compressing a transcatheter valve prosthesis into a crimped configuration for delivery within a vasculature. The crimping accessory is configured to apply or remove fluid to or from the at least one leaflet of the transcatheter valve prosthesis during the crimping process to prevent protrusion of the leaflets into the frame of the transcatheter valve prosthesis that may cause leaflet pinching and damage.

Abstract: An assembly including a transcatheter valve prosthesis and a leaflet folding accessory configured for use when compressing the transcatheter valve prosthesis into the crimped configuration. The transcatheter valve prosthesis includes a frame and a prosthetic valve component including at least one leaflet disposed within and secured to the frame. The leaflet folding accessory includes a plurality of guide fingers. A leaflet contact portion of each guide finger is configured to be disposed radially within the frame and contact an inner surface of a leaflet of the at least one leaflet. During crimping of the transcatheter valve prosthesis, the plurality of guide fingers remain disposed radially within the frame such that the at least one leaflet preferentially folds around the plurality of guide fingers.

Abstract: A transcatheter valve prosthesis includes a stent and a prosthetic valve. The stent includes an inflow portion, an outflow portion, and a transition portion extending between the inflow portion and the outflow portion. The transition portion includes a plurality of axial frame members, and three of the plurality of the axial frame members are commissure posts. At least two of the plurality of the axial frame members are commissure posts having a first end connected to a crown of the inflow portion and an unattached second end disposed within the outflow portion such that a pair of struts of the outflow portion intersect each commissure post at a mid-portion thereof. The prosthetic valve is configured to substantially block blood flow in one direction to regulate blood flow through a central lumen of the stent.