US Patent 7201772 Fluid flow prosthetic device

A prosthetic device including a valve-orifice attachment member attachable to a valve in a blood vessel and including a fluid inlet, and a diverging member that extends from the fluid inlet, the diverging member including a proximal end near the fluid inlet and a distal end distanced from the proximal end, wherein a distal portion of the diverging member has a larger cross-sectional area for fluid flow therethrough than a proximal portion thereof. The diverging member may have a diverging taper that causes fluid to flow therethrough with pressure recovery at the distal end thereof.