Prosthetic heart valve

Claim 1

A prosthetic heart valve comprising a base having an inside wall and a plurality of flaps, each flap comprising: a leading edge which is in contact with the inside wall of the base in the closed position, and is situated at the upstream end of the flow in the open position; a trailing edge which is in contact with the trailing edges of the other flaps when in the closed position, and which is situated at the downstream end of the flow when in the open position; two side edges between the leading edge and the trailing edge of each flap, each side edge defining an area corresponding to a corner of the flap and comprising an upstream segment belonging to the leading edge, and a downstream segment belonging to the trailing edge, the line defined by the succession of the leading edge, the trailing edge, and the side edges of each flap constituting the outline of the flap and delimiting two oppostie faces, namely: an inside face which is substantially parallel to the flow axis, when in the open position, and faces radially inward; and an outside face which faces radially outward towards the inside wall of the base in the open position, and having at least a portion situated in the vicinity of each side edge making contact with the inside wall of the base in the open position, thereby constituting means for limiting the opening motion; said base being substantially annular in shape and comprising: a leading edge situated at the upstream end of the flow; and a trailing edge situated at the downstream end of the flow, and an outside wall for receiving suture means enabling the valve to be fixed to heart tissue; and said inside wall extending in a direction substantially parallel to the flow and having means for guiding each flap in rotation and for retaining it; wherein said means for guiding each of the flaps and for retaining them comprise: two trailing edge guide arcs each situated in the vicinity of one of the corners of each flap, each of said arcs beginning on the inside wall of the base at a point close to the trailing edge of the base and the zone between the trailing edge of the flap and one of the side edges of said flap in the open position, each arc extending radially inward towards the middle of the valve via a first portion which is substantially circular in shape so as to remain in the vicinity of the trailing edge of the flap throughout the motion thereof, the upstream end of said circular portion of the arc extending along a second portion which returns to the inside wall of the base at a point close to the leading edge thereof and serving as an abutment for the flap in its closed position; and at least one leading edge guide arc for the leading edge of the flap, said at least one leading edge guide arc beginning from a point of the inside wall of the base situated close to the leading edge of the flap in the closed position, and upstream therefrom, and being substantially circular in shape such that it remains in the vicinity of the leading edge of the flap during its motion, said arc for guiding the leading edge extending radially inward at least as far as the inside face of the flap in its open position, the end of said at least one leading edge guide arc constituting an abutment for the leading edge of the flap in the open position and co-operating with the downstream portion of the arcs for guiding the trailing edge and with the inside wall of the base in order to avoid the flap escaping from its retaining means, said end of said at least one leading edge guide arc extending to a point making contact with the inside face of the flap in the closed position, thus constituting an abutment point for the flap in the closed position.