Importance

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Abstract

The heart valve prosthesis has a generally annular base that has an annular body and diametrically opposite chordal segments having generally parallel flat surfaces. Each chordal segment has a pair of spherical recesses opening through the flat surface, the spherical recesses having ears of a pair of leaflets pivotally extending therein for movement between valve open and closed positions. For improving blood flow characteristics, each chordal segment has an upstream conical surface that is tapered generally radially inwardly in a downstream direction and a downstream conical surface that is tapered generally radially inwardly in an upstream direction. The conical surfaces intersect the flat surfaces. The leaflets have adjacent generally flat edges and arcuately curved edges that have parts remote from the leaflet pivot axes abuttable against the generally constant diameter wall portions of the annular body for limiting movement of the leaflets in a closing direction and stop members on the chordal segments to limit the movement of the leaflets in an opening direction.

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First Claim