A knotless suture fastener installation system for securing medical devices such as cardiac implants. The knotless suture fasteners may be spring-biased so as to grip onto sutures passed therethrough. The system includes a fastener deployment tool with a proximal handle and a distal shaft to which a fastener cartridge attaches. A plurality of disposable cartridges are sequentially attached to the end of the deployment tool and used to secure the medical implant one fastener at a time. The deployment tool may also cut the sutures being fastened.

Multi-layered engineered designs are provided for heart valve leaflets. The multiple layer designs have significantly improved mobility of the leaflets, without reduced durability, compared to an ordinary single-layer design. In addition, a folded double layer design also showed highly reduced the risk of fraying.

A novel prosthetic valve is described herein, as well as methods of making such novel prosthetic valves.

A method for replacing a native heart valve in need thereof comprises delivering to the native heart valve an apparatus comprising a valve member, a connecting member, and an anchor member suitable for anchoring the apparatus. The valve member reversibly moves between an open position and a closed position to augment or replace the function of the native valve leaflets, thereby reducing valve regurgitation. Some embodiments include a stent that is positioned in the native heart valve with the valve member disposed therein.

The invention relates to a system for replacing a heart valve that is diseased owing to inflammation and/or an infection. The system has: a stent system with at least one expandable stent; and a replacement heart valve which is secured to the at least one stent and has at least two heart valve leaflets. The at least one stent has a coating with an antimicrobial substance or an antimicrobially effective carrier material, preferably on the inner side and/or the outer side.

The invention relates to a prosthetic heart valve (100) for an endoprosthesis (1) used in the treatment of a stenotic cardiac valve and/or a cardiac valve insufficiency. The prosthetic heart valve (100) comprises of a plurality of leaflets (102), which consist of a natural and/or synthetic material and have a first opened position for opening the heart chamber and a second closed position for closing the heart chamber, the leaflets (102) being able to switch between their first and second position in response to the blood flow through the heart. In addition, the prosthetic heart valve (100) comprises a leaflet support portion (103), consisting of biological and/or synthetic material for mounting of the prosthetic heart valve (100) to a stent (10), and a bendable transition area (104) which forms a junction between the leaflets (102) and the leaflet support portion (103), the transition area (104) progressing essentially in a U-shaped manner similar to a cusp shape of a natural aortic or pulmonary heart valve for reducing tissue stresses during opening and closing motion of the leaflets (102). The invention further relates to an endoprosthesis (1) comprising a prosthetic heart valve (100) and a stent (10)

An embodiment of the invention includes a sewing cuff for aortic heart valves that better approximates native anatomy by better mating with the crown-like anatomical annulus. Limiting distortion of the crown-like annulus provides better blood flow and overall valve function and provides a physician greater ease of implantation since native anatomy is not flattened. Thus, the surgeon may attach sutures to the fibrous tissue of the crown-like anatomical annulus without distorting the shape of the native anatomy. An embodiment includes a scalloped sewing cuff assembly (with semilunar arches) that tracks the crown-like annulus. Another embodiment provides a sewing cuff positioned over the majority of the valve's length, thus allowing the surgeon greater flexibility as to where he or she can attach sutures to the surgical annulus. Conventional valves, which are primarily “low-profile” devices, do not offer such ability. Other embodiments are described herein.

A prosthetic heart valve includes a frame, a valve, and an expansion element. The frame is movable between contracted and expanded configurations and includes first struts and second struts non-hingedly coupled together. The second struts are configured to pivot relative to the first struts as the frame moves between the contracted and expanded configurations. The valve is coupled to the frame and includes leaflets. The expansion element extends through a lumen of the first struts. The expansion element is slidable relative to the lumen of the first struts and is configured to move the frame incrementally from the contracted configuration and the expanded configuration and from the expanded configuration to the contracted configuration.

A percutaneous heart valve prosthesis including a collapsible valve body frame has a first end and a second end. The valve body frame is formed by a plurality of sub-frame members, each sub-frame member having a general form of a diamond with acute-angled vertices and oblique-angled vertices, wherein adjacent sub-frame members are joined at the oblique-angled vertices. A flexible skirt made from a non-biologic material extends around a periphery of the valve body frame. A one-way valve including a plurality of flexible valve leaflets is positioned within the valve body frame. The first end of the valve body frame is sized to pass through a valve orifice associated with a heart valve to be replaced and the second end of the valve body frame is sized so as not to pass through a valve orifice.

A bioprosthetic valve for repairing a deep venous insufficiency in a subject includes a single leaflet from a xenogeneic heart valve attached at natural margins of attachment to a patch of valve wall tissue. The patch may extend axially above and below the leaflet and circumferentially on either side of the leaflet to provide a region for attaching the patch to a fenestration in a host vein. A bioprosthetic valve may be manufactured by excising a portion of a xenogeneic heart valve including a single leaflet and contiguous wall tissue, and may further comprise shaving off excess leaflet tissue from adjacent leaflets. A method of replacing a malfunctioning venous valve in a subject includes providing a bioprosthetic valve as described above and inserting it to the host vein.