Abstract: A valve includes an elastic valve body and a stent. A first portion of the stent is embedded in the elastic valve body and a second portion of the stent is outside the valve body. A method of manufacturing such a valve is also claimed.

Abstract: A heart valve prosthesis having improved flow characteristics. A heart valve prosthesis includes a valve body and a pair of leaflet occluders. The valve body includes an interior surface that defines a central passage for blood flow. The pair of leaflet occluders are pivotably mounted in the passage via ears or tabs that are received in recesses formed in the interior surface that defines the central passage. The recesses are formed with sloped sidewalls to improve the blood flow therethrough. The recesses are also formed such that the leaflet occluder ears act against at least two surfaces that limit the motion of the leaflet occluder to provide a more stable movement that is less damaging to blood cells.

Abstract: A heart valve prosthesis includes a valve housing having an opening formed therein having an inmost arcuate surface and a leaflet pivotally mounted in the opening for movement between an open position and a closed position with the inmost arcuate surface. The leaflet has an outmost edge providing multiple points of contact with the housing. The leaflet also forms a leakage gap adjacent the leaflet major radius and between the inmost and outmost surfaces such that the multiple points of contact are displaced from the leaflet major radius and are adjacent to and on opposite sides of the leakage gap. One or several such leaflets may be provided in the housing. Each leaflet respectively includes the leakage gap and the adjacent multiple points of contact.

Abstract: An annuloplasty ring is provided for implanting about a mitral valve. The annuloplasty ring includes a first, generally rigid section and a second, generally flexible section. The rigid section is positioned adjacent the posterior portion of a mitral valve annulus and the flexible section is positioned adjacent the anterior portion of the mitral valve annulus.

Abstract: An instrument for spreading the anterior leaflet of a mitral valve. The surgical instrument is designed to allow a surgeon to grip an instrument with one hand during sizing of the anterior leaflet prior to implantation of an annuloplasty ring in a heart valve. The instrument includes a pair of tines that each have an engagement tip for engaging the chordae tendinae proximate an anterior leaflet of a heart valve. The tines are coupled together by a gripping mechanism that may be easily held in one hand, while an annuloplasty ring sizer is held in the surgeon's other hand.

Abstract: An implantable attaching device includes an annular ring having an axial passageway and a plurality of channels extending radially through the ring. Tissue attaching pins are positioned in the channels and extend radially inward into the axial passageway during implantation. The pins are driven into the native annulus tissue after the ring is positioned. Once the pins are driven into the annulus, the axial passageway of the ring is unobstructed and is adapted to receive a heart valve or other implantable device.

Abstract: A support ring for a natural human heart valve includes a first ring portion having opposite terminal ends and a second ring portion having opposite terminal ends. An interconnector extends through and interconnects the first and second ring portions, to maintain the opposite terminal ends of the first ring portion adjacent the opposite terminal ends of the second ring portion, to form a segmented ring having a first and a second interface between the first and second ring portions. The first ring portion is of a greater length than the second ring portion. The ring portions are separable by severing the interconnector at the first and second interfaces, thus producing two variable size ring segments.

Abstract: A heart valve prosthesis rotator having a flexible drive for flexibly turning a heart valve. One embodiment has a shaft constructed from elastically deformable metal alloy such as super elastic nickel-titanium alloy. Another embodiment has a shaft constructed of surgical tubing. Yet another embodiment also has an annealed stainless steel shaft which can be bent by the surgeon interoperatively. The shaft will retain its shape after bending. Surrounding the shaft is a drive coil which connects a rotator head at a proximal end of the shaft to a drive knob at a distal end of the shaft and adjacent a handle. By turning the drive knob, a surgeon can turn the rotator head, thus orienting the prosthetic heart valve. Torsional motion is carried along the path defined by the bendable shaft so that the rotator head can be turned without displacing the handle of the heart valve rotator.

Abstract: A device for positioning during surgery, a heart valve prosthesis having a general annular configuration with an inside diameter that includes a handle and a introducer/rotator. The handle has a proximal end and a distal end. The introducer/rotator is attached to the distal end of the handle and has a length in operative relates to the inside diameter of the valve prosthesis. The introducer/rotator has a width that is less than the length, which facilitates intercostal insertion through a patient's ribs.

Abstract: A combined heart valve and vascular graft, or "valve/graft combination", wherein the heart valve has a sewing ring that is substantially impervious to blood flow. In our preferred embodiment, the sewing ring comprises a solid circular silicone insert which supports the sewing ring radially outwardly form the valve and forms a shield to prevent the flow of blood through the sewing ring.

Abstract: A prosthetic heart valve rotator with an eccentric socket attached to a bendable shaft. The heart valve is manipulated by a rotator head which is attached to the socket in any of a plurality of selectable angular positions. The rotator head is held in the socket by a spring which circumscribes the socket, thereby reducing stress in the spring.

Abstract: A prosthetic mechanical heart valve with an annular valve body and with a suture ring and stiffening ring combination wherein the stiffening ring is compressible before contacting a wall of the valve body. The inside diameter of the stiffening ring is consistently greater than the outside diameter of the annular valve body, forming a gap. This inhibits compressive forces from being transmitted to the annular valve body. The heart valve also has beveled stops or recesses for controlling the opening angle of leaflets mounted in the valve body. Because of the gap between the valve body and the stiffening ring, the body can deform in a spring-like manner, providing a spring-closing action.

Abstract: A prosthetic mechanical heart valve with a suture ring and stiffening ring combination which minimizes the radial thickness of the sewing ring. The valve comprises an annular stiffening ring captured between .upper and lower rings which are sewed into a knit fabric tube. The entire assembly of sewing ring and stiffening ring is then assembled as a unit onto the mechanical heart valve.

Abstract: A bi-leaflet heart valve having an annular body and a pair of leaflets. The leaflets pivot around improved ears, whose motion is constrained by generally triangular recesses. The triangular recesses have a pivotal vertex in proximity to a centerline of the annular base and on the upstream side of the heart valve. Opposite the pivotal vertex is a slightly concave base. An upstream wall of the recess is convex.

Abstract: A bi-leaflet heart valve having an annular body and a pair of leaflets. The leaflets pivot around improved ears, whose motion is constrained by generally triangular recesses. The triangular recesses have a pivotal vertex in proximity to a centerline of the annular base and on the upstream side of the heart valve. Opposite the pivotal vertex is a slightly convex base. The opening angle of the leaflets can be adjusted by varying the inclination of a wall of the triangular recess adjacent the center line. The opening angle should be adjusted, according to the teachings of the present invention, to minimize energy loss for a particular inside diameter of the heart valve. The optimum opening angle can be determined by in vitro testing using an adjustable valve and a pulse duplicator.

Abstract: A combined mechanical heart valve and vascular graft having a shortened transition area between the valve and the graft. The mechanical valve comprises a rigid circular annulus supporting internal leaflets. A stiffening ring surrounds the annulus and provides support for a sewing ring to attach the valve to the heart. The stiffening ring also captures a proximal end of the vascular graft between the stiffening ring and the annulus.

Abstract: A suture ring for a mechanical heart valve comprised of essentially three parts: a stiffening ring which fits over an outer surface of the heart valve; a knit fabric sewing cuff attached to the stiffening ring, and a locking ring for securing the stiffening ring to the heart valve. The preferred embodiment comprises a locking ring which is generally crescent-shaped in cross-section and has a split ring configuration. Radial expansion or contraction is a first mode of deformation for the locking ring. The stiffening ring and the valve body can be locked together because the locking ring is capable of deforming in a second mode with respect to thickness of the ring. In the case of the preferred embodiment, the locking ring deforms by a slight flattening of the cresent cross-section of the ring.

Abstract: Apparatus for carrying phonographic records in a stacked arrangement. The apparatus has a base, a spindle, and a handle. The handle is movably coupled to the spindle to provide two positions for the handle relative to the spindle. One handle position is employed for carrying the stack and carrier. The other handle position is a storage position which facilitates adding records to, or removing records from the stack without detaching the handle from the spindle. For compactness in shipping and storage, the base and the spindle may be separate pieces, which may be easily assembled and disassembled.