Prosthetic cardiac valves

Claim 2

A prosthetic cardiac valve adapted to be disposed in the aortic, mitral or tricuspid rings comprising: an annular valve seat adapted to be attached to the aortic, mitral or tricupsid rings; a valve element having generally tear-drop external configuration, with an annular seating surface at substantially its maximum diameter portion for seating engagement with said valve seat for closing blood flow through said valve seat; and, guide means for axially guiding said valve element having a tapered axial opening in each end of said valve element and having a pair of tapered axially disposed guide pins, with one pin being in each of said openings, to maintain said valve element substantially in axial alignment at all times as said valve element moves to and from The closed position wherein the valve element is seated in contact with said valve seat and an open position wherein the valve element is away from said valve seat during pulsatile flow of blood through the valve, whereby turbulance of the blood during such flow around the valve is minimized.

Claim 3

The valve set forth in claim 1, wherein: the ends of the tapered guide pins are spaced apart axially.

Claim 4

The valve set forth in claim 2, including: means for limiting the extent of axial movement of said valve element relative to said pins to maintain at least the tip portion of one pin in one of said axial openings at all times.

Claim 5

The valve set forth in claim 2, including: means mounted with said valve seat for supporting one of said pins for substantially full insertion into one of said axial openings when said element is in the open position; and means mounted with said valve seat for supporting the other of said pins for substantially full insertion into the other of said axial openings when said element is in the closed position.

Claim 6

A prosthetic cardiac valve adapted to be disposed in the aortic, mitral or tricuspid rings comprising: an annular valve seat adapted to be attached to the aortic, mitral or tricuspid rings; a valve element having a generally tear-drop external configuration, with an annular seating surface at substantially its maximum diameter portion for seating engagement with said valve seat for closing blood flow through said valve seat; guide means for axially guiding said valve element having a plurality of axially extending elongate members circumferentially spaced relative to each other about said valve seat and each of said elongate members having a straight inner guide surface adapted to be engaged by a guide surface on said valve element, to maintain said valve element substantially in axial alignment at all times as said valve element moves to and from the closed position wherein said valve element is seated in contact with said valve seat and an open position wherein said valve element is away from said valve seat during pulsatile flow of blood through the valve, whereby turbulence of the blood during such flow around the valve is minimized; an annular stop ring for limiting the extent of travel of said valve element from the closed position to the open position, wherein the external surface of said valve element has an annular groove, the cross-section of which is substantially the same as the cross-section of said stop ring, and the external surface of said stop ring substantially conforms with the external surface of said valve element on each side of said groove when said stop ring is in said groove of said valve element in the open position.

Claim 7

A prosthetic cardiac valve adapted to be disposed in the aortic, mitral or tricuspid rings comprising: an annular valve seat adapted to be attached to the aortic, mitral or tricuspid rings; a valve element having a generally tear-drop external configuration, with an annular seating surface at substantially its maximum diameter portion for seating engagement with said valve seat for closing blood flow through said valve seat; guide means for axially guiding said valve element having a plurality of axially extending elongate members circumferentially spaced relative to each other about said valve seat and each of said elongate members having a straight inner guide surface adapted to be engaged by a guide surface on said valve element, to maintain said valve element substantially in axial alignment at all times as said valve element moves to and from the closed position wherein said valve element is seated in contact with said valve seat and an open position wherein said valve element is away from said valve seat during pulsatile flow of blood through the valve, whereby turbulence of the blood during such flow around the valve is minimized; an annular stop ring for limiting the extent of travel of said valve element from the closed position to the open position, wherein the external surface of said valve element has an annular groove, the cross-section of which is substantially the same as the cross-section of said stop ring, and the external surface of said stop ring substantially conforms with the external surface of said valve element on each side of said groove when said stop ring is in said groove of said valve element in the open position.

Claim 8

The valve set forth in claim 5, wherein: said annular stop ring is mounted with said elongate members.