Importance

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Abstract

A prosthetic heart valve for implantation in a heart includes an outer orifice ring and an inner orifice ring having an occluding mechanism carried therein. A ring coupling mechanism having helical threads is adapted to couple the outer orifice ring to the inner orifice ring after the outer orifice ring has been coupled to the tissue annulus. The coupling mechanism comprises a first helical thread on an outer diameter of the inner ring and a second helical thread on an inner diameter of the outer ring. At least one of the diameters includes a retaining ridge configured to define an unthreaded region between the retaining ridge and the respective thread. When a helical thread is positioned in the unthreaded region, the inner ring is rotatable in the outer ring with substantially no movement in an axial direction of the valve.

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First Claim