Abstract: A prosthetic heart valve comprising a stent having an annular base and a plurality of legs extending upwardly from said base; a valve element circumscribing said stent and attached thereto, said valving element comprising a number of cooperating valve leaflets equal to the number of said legs; and a layer of biologically-compatible material secured to said stent and positioned between said stent and said leaflets, said layer having a smooth, non-abrasive outer surface and covering all of the surfaces of said stent that, in the absence of said layer, would contact the mobile portions of said leaflets during the normal function of the valve.

Abstract: An improved stent for prosthetic tissue heart valves having upright legs which have radiused upper tips which are approximately one-half the width of prior art stent legs is disclosed. These narrow tipped stent legs reduce stress induced in the leaflets by curvature of the leaflets around the tips of the stent legs in the closed position, extending the service life of the valve. Tabs are added to the tips of the stent legs to add structural strength. These tabs can be tapered or straight but their bottom portions must be narrower than the stent leg. The tabs have a plurality of holes in them through which coaptation stitches are passed. The coaptation stitch can be two separate stitches, one in a first plane and one in a second plane at 90.degree. to the first plane, or, in the preferred embodiment, a single figure eight stitch passing through the holes in the tab in a plane coincident with the long axis of the stent leg.

Abstract: Prosthetic heart valves comprising an annular, right cylindrical, metal stent covered with fabric to which a glutaraldehyde-stabilized pericardial valving element formed of three leaflets, each having a plateau on a truncated triangle extending higher at the center than at the edges, and formed as a cylinder having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the stent, and having a low profile is disclosed.

Abstract: A tissue heart valve has a cloth-covered stent which provides several layers of padding over the stent edges and an integral sewing ring while maximizing the internal valve diameter for a given size heart annulus. No edges of the cloth are exposed. A continuation of the pledget covers all knots of the stitches connecting the tissue to the stent.