Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
MECHANICALLY EXPANDABLE HEART VALVE WITH LEAFLET CLAMPS

Abstract:

A frame for a prosthetic heart valve includes a plurality of strut members arranged to form an annular main body of the frame and coupled together by pivot joints. The main body of the frame is radially collapsible to a collapsed configuration and radially expandable to an expanded configuration, and has an inflow end and an outflow end. The frame includes a plurality of leaflet clamps disposed on an exterior of the frame, each of the leaflet clamps including a pair of strut members pivotably coupled to the strut members of the frame, the leaflet clamps being movable between an open position corresponding to the collapsed configuration of the frame and a closed position corresponding to the expanded configuration of the frame. Motion of the frame between the collapsed configuration and the expanded configuration causes corresponding motion of the leaflet clamps between the open position and the closed position.