Annuloplasty rings

Abstract

Prosthetic annuloplasty ring(s) configured to attach to and remodel a valve annulus. Each ring can comprise a generally oval shaped inner body made of a semi-rigid material. The inner body can be surrounded by an outer suture-permeable sheath that permits the ring body to be attached to the valve annulus. The inner body can include a posterior section contiguous with an anterior section together forming a continuous periphery oriented about a flow axis. In plan view as seen along the flow axis, the ring can have a major axis perpendicular to a minor axis, wherein a maximum dimension lies along the major axis and a minimum dimension lies along the minor axis. The rings can be a set of rings of increasing ring sizes, where a ratio of the minimum dimension to the maximum dimension changes for at least some of the rings of different ring sizes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings configured to attach to and remodel a mitral valve annulus, each ring comprising:
 a generally oval shaped inner body made of a semi-rigid material that will retain its shape in opposition to stresses imparted by muscles of the heart throughout each beating cycle, the inner body surrounded by an outer suture-permeable sheath that permits the ring body to be attached to the mitral valve annulus, wherein the inner body includes a posterior section contiguous with an anterior section together forming a continuous periphery oriented about a flow axis, wherein the flow axis defines an upward direction and a downward direction, the downward direction corresponding to the direction of blood flow through the mitral valve annulus from the left atrium to the left ventricle, and   wherein in atrial plan view as seen along the flow axis the ring has a major axis perpendicular to a minor axis, wherein a maximum dimension lies along the major axis and a minimum dimension lies along the minor axis, and   wherein the set of rings includes annuloplasty rings of increasing labeled ring sizes from a smallest labeled ring size to a largest labeled ring size, and wherein a ratio of the minimum dimension to the maximum dimension changes for at least some of the annuloplasty rings of increasing labeled ring sizes.   
     
     
         2 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio increases for at least some of the annuloplasty rings of increasing labeled ring sizes as the labeled ring sizes increase. 
     
     
         3 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 2 , wherein the annuloplasty rings of increasing labeled ring sizes include labeled ring sizes from 24 mm to 36 mm in 2 mm increments, and the ratio increases between at least two pairs of rings of adjacent labeled ring sizes. 
     
     
         4 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 3 , wherein the ratio remains constant between at least two pairs of rings of adjacent labeled ring sizes. 
     
     
         5 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 2 , wherein the ratio is less than or equal to 3:4 for rings of all labeled ring sizes. 
     
     
         6 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio is less than or equal to 3:4 for rings of all labeled ring sizes. 
     
     
         7 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 1 , wherein the posterior section is asymmetric across the minor axis for rings of all labeled ring sizes, with a first lateral portion of the posterior section on one side of the minor axis has a smaller radius of curvature than a second lateral portion on the opposite side of the minor axis for rings of all labeled ring sizes. 
     
     
         8 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the posterior section deflects downward with respect to the remaining sections of the ring body. 
     
     
         9 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 8 , wherein in atrial plan view the anterior section extends between an anterolateral trigone and a posteromedial trigone, and the posterior section extends around the remaining periphery of the ring body and between trigones, and the posterior section is divided into three sequential segments, (P 1 ), (P 2 ), and (P 3 ), starting from the anterolateral trigone and continuing in a counterclockwise direction, wherein the minor axis intersects both the anterior section and the (P 2 ) segment of the posterior section, and the portion of the posterior section that deflects downward is located exclusively within the (P 2 ) and (P 3 ) segments. 
     
     
         10 . A set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings configured to attach to and remodel a mitral valve annulus, each ring comprising:
 a generally oval shaped inner body including a posterior section contiguous with an anterior section together forming a continuous periphery oriented about a flow axis, wherein the flow axis defines an upward direction and a downward direction, the downward direction corresponding to the direction of blood flow through the mitral valve annulus from the left atrium to the left ventricle, and   wherein in atrial plan view as seen along the flow axis the ring has a major axis perpendicular to a minor axis, wherein a maximum dimension lies along the major axis and a minimum dimension lies along the minor axis, and   wherein the set of rings is includes annuloplasty rings of increasing labeled ring sizes from a smallest labeled ring size to a largest labeled ring size, and wherein a ratio of the minimum dimension to the maximum dimension increases between at least two pairs of rings of adjacent labeled ring sizes.   
     
     
         11 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 10 , wherein the ratio increases between at least two pairs of rings of adjacent labeled ring sizes as the labeled ring sizes increase. 
     
     
         12 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 11 , wherein the annuloplasty rings of increasing labeled ring sizes includes labeled ring sizes from 24 mm to 36 mm in 2 mm increments, and the ratio increases between at least three pairs of rings of adjacent labeled ring sizes. 
     
     
         13 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 12 , wherein the ratio remains constant between at least two pairs of rings of adjacent labeled ring sizes. 
     
     
         14 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 10 , wherein the ratio is less than or equal to 3:4 for rings of all labeled ring sizes. 
     
     
         15 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 10 , wherein the posterior section is asymmetric across the minor axis for rings of all labeled ring sizes. 
     
     
         16 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 15 , wherein a first lateral portion of the posterior section on one side of the minor axis has a smaller radius of curvature than a second lateral portion on the opposite side of the minor axis for rings of all labeled ring sizes. 
     
     
         17 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 10 , wherein a portion of the posterior section deflects downward with respect to the remaining sections of the ring body. 
     
     
         18 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 17 , wherein in atrial plan view the anterior section extends between an anterolateral trigone and a posteromedial trigone, and the posterior section extends around the remaining periphery of the ring body and between trigones, and the posterior section is divided into three sequential segments, (P 1 ), (P 2 ), and (P 3 ), starting from the anterolateral trigone and continuing in a counterclockwise direction, wherein the minor axis intersects both the anterior section and the (P 2 ) segment of the posterior section, and the portion of the posterior section that deflects downward is located exclusively within the (P 2 ) and (P 3 ) segments. 
     
     
         19 . A set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings configured to attach to and remodel a native valve annulus, each ring of the set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings comprising:
 an inner body made of a semi-rigid material configured to retain its shape in opposition to stresses imparted by muscles of the heart throughout each beating cycle, the inner body surrounded by an outer suture-permeable sheath that permits the ring body to be attached to the native valve annulus, wherein the inner body includes a posterior section that together with an anterior section form a continuous periphery oriented about a flow axis, wherein the flow axis corresponding to the direction of blood flow through the native valve annulus, and   wherein in a plan view as seen along the flow axis the ring has a major axis perpendicular to a minor axis, wherein a maximum dimension lies along the major axis and a minimum dimension lies along the minor axis, and   wherein the set of rings includes increasing ring sizes, and wherein a ratio of the minimum dimension to the maximum dimension changes for at least some rings of different ring sizes.   
     
     
         20 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 19 , wherein the ratio increases for at least some of the rings of different ring sizes as the ring sizes increase. 
     
     
         21 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 20 , wherein the annuloplasty rings of increasing ring sizes include labeled ring sizes from 24 mm to 36 mm in 2 mm increments, and the ratio increases between at least two pairs of rings of adjacent ring sizes. 
     
     
         22 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 21 , wherein the ratio remains constant between at least two pairs of rings of adjacent ring sizes. 
     
     
         23 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 20 , wherein the ratio is less than or equal to 3:4 for rings of all ring sizes. 
     
     
         24 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 19 , wherein the ratio is less than or equal to 3:4 for rings of all ring sizes. 
     
     
         25 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 19 , wherein the posterior section is asymmetric across the minor axis for rings of all ring sizes. 
     
     
         26 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 25 , wherein a first lateral portion of the posterior section on one side of the minor axis has a smaller radius of curvature than a second lateral portion on the opposite side of the minor axis for rings of all ring sizes. 
     
     
         27 . The set of prosthetic annuloplasty rings of  claim 19 , wherein a portion of the posterior section deflects downward with respect to the remaining sections of the ring body.