Leaflet Attachment For Function In Various Shapes and Sizes

Abstract

A prosthetic heart valve includes a collapsible and expandable stent and a plurality of commissure features disposed on the stent. A collapsible and expandable valve assembly includes a plurality of leaflets connected to the plurality of commissure features, each commissure feature including a body having a proximal end and a distal end. A plurality of eyelets is arranged in rows and columns on the body for distributing load from the plurality of leaflets.

1 . A prosthetic heart valve, comprising:
 a collapsible and expandable stent having an inflow end and an outflow end, the stent including a plurality of struts defining a plurality of cells;   a plurality of commissure attachment features disposed on the stent, each commissure attachment feature having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a plurality of eyelets arranged in at least one column, the first end being connected to first and second struts of one of the plurality of cells, and the second end being connected to third and fourth struts of another one of the plurality of cells, wherein the first and third struts connected to each commissure attachment feature are connected at points that longitudinally align with one another, and the second and fourth struts connected to each commissure attachment feature are connected at points that longitudinally align with one another; and   a collapsible and expandable valve assembly including a plurality of leaflets connected to the plurality of commissure attachment features.   
     
     
         2 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 1 , wherein each commissure attachment feature has a central longitudinal axis and at least three rows of eyelets, each of the at least three rows of eyelets being symmetrical about the central longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         3 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 2 , wherein the eyelets of each commissure attachment feature are arranged in a single column. 
     
     
         4 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 1 , wherein the eyelets of each commissure attachment feature are aligned along a central longitudinal axis of the commissure attachment feature. 
     
     
         5 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 1 , wherein the eyelets of each commissure attachment feature are arranged in three rows. 
     
     
         6 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 1 , wherein the eyelets of each commissure attachment feature have the same shape and size as one another. 
     
     
         7 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 1 , wherein each commissure attachment feature includes a single body. 
     
     
         8 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 1 , wherein each commissure attachment feature includes multiple bodies. 
     
     
         9 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 8 , wherein the multiple bodies are longitudinally aligned with one another. 
     
     
         10 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 1 , wherein adjacent rows of eyelets are equally spaced from one another. 
     
     
         11 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 1 , wherein, when the stent is in an expanded condition, the inflow end of the stent has a first diameter and the outflow end of the stent has a second diameter greater than the first diameter. 
     
     
         12 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 11 , wherein a portion of the stent nearer the inflow end is cylindrical when the stent is in the expanded condition. 
     
     
         13 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 12 , wherein each commissure attachment feature is disposed at least partially on the cylindrical portion of the stent. 
     
     
         14 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 1 , wherein the stent is cylindrical when in a collapsed condition. 
     
     
         15 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 1 , wherein the cell having the first and second struts is longitudinally adjacent to the cell having the third and fourth struts. 
     
     
         16 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 15 , wherein the first and third struts partially define a first of the plurality of cells, and the second and fourth struts partially define a second of the plurality of cells circumferentially adjacent to the first cell. 
     
     
         17 . A prosthetic heart valve, comprising:
 a collapsible and expandable stent having an inflow end and an outflow end, the stent including a plurality of struts defining a plurality of cells, the plurality of cells including at least first and second circumferential annular rows of cells, the second circumferential row being spaced apart from the inflow end;   a plurality of commissure attachment features disposed on the stent adjacent the second annular row of cells, each commissure attachment feature having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a plurality of eyelets arranged in at least one column, the first end being connected to first and second struts of one of the plurality of cells of the second annular row; and   a collapsible and expandable valve assembly including a plurality of leaflets connected to the plurality of commissure attachment features.   
     
     
         18 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 17 , wherein each commissure attachment feature has a central longitudinal axis and at least three rows of eyelets, each of the at least three rows of eyelets being symmetrical about the central longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         19 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 17 , wherein the valve assembly spans at least the first and second circumferential annular rows of cells. 
     
     
         20 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 19 , wherein the valve assembly further includes a cuff covering at least a portion of the first and second circumferential annular rows of cells. 
     
     
         21 . A prosthetic heart valve, comprising:
 a collapsible and expandable stent having an inflow end and an outflow end, the stent including a plurality of struts defining a plurality of cells;   a plurality of commissure attachment features disposed on the stent, each commissure attachment feature being substantially rectangular with rounded corners and having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a plurality of eyelets arranged in at least one column, the first end being connected to first and second struts of one of the plurality of cells, and the second end being connected to third and fourth struts of another one of the plurality of cells; and   a collapsible and expandable valve assembly including a plurality of leaflets connected to the plurality of commissure attachment features.   
     
     
         22 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 21 , wherein each commissure attachment feature has a central longitudinal axis and at least three rows of eyelets, each of the at least three rows of eyelets being symmetrical about the central longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         23 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 22 , wherein the eyelets of each commissure attachment feature are arranged in a single column. 
     
     
         24 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 21 , wherein the eyelets of each commissure attachment feature have the same shape and size as one another. 
     
     
         25 . A prosthetic heart valve, comprising:
 a collapsible and expandable stent having an inflow end and an outflow end, the stent including a plurality of struts defining a plurality of cells, the plurality of cells including at least first and second circumferential annular rows of cells, the second circumferential row being spaced apart from the inflow end;   a plurality of commissure attachment features disposed on the stent adjacent the second annular row of cells, each commissure attachment feature being substantially rectangular with rounded corners and having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a plurality of eyelets arranged in at least one column, the first end being connected to first and second struts of one of the plurality of cells of the second annular row, and the second end being connected to third and fourth struts of another one of the plurality of cells, wherein the first and third struts connected to each commissure attachment feature are connected at points that longitudinally align with one another, and the second and fourth struts connected to each commissure attachment feature are connected at points that longitudinally align with one another; and   a collapsible and expandable valve assembly including a cuff and a plurality of leaflets connected to the plurality of commissure attachment features, a first end of the cuff substantially following a contour of the inflow end of the stent.   
     
     
         26 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 25 , wherein the third and fourth struts are not in the first or second circumferential annular rows of cells. 
     
     
         27 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 25 , wherein each commissure attachment feature has a central longitudinal axis and at least three rows of eyelets, each of the at least three rows of eyelets being symmetrical about the central longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         28 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 27 , wherein the eyelets of each commissure attachment feature are arranged in a single column. 
     
     
         29 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 25 , wherein the eyelets of each commissure attachment feature are aligned along a central longitudinal axis of the commissure attachment feature. 
     
     
         30 . The prosthetic heart valve of  claim 25 , wherein the eyelets of each commissure attachment feature have the same shape and size as one another.