US Patent 8998979 Transcatheter heart valves

A prosthetic heart valve comprises a biological tissue valve and a collapsible and expandable support frame comprising a longitudinal axis. The frame comprises an outflow circumferential structure defining an outflow end of the frame and defining a similar row of expandable cells, and a circumferential undulating strut structure spaced apart from the outflow circumferential structure. The frame also comprises three struts longitudinally aligned with the longitudinal axis, configured to facilitate mounting the biological tissue valve to the frame, and interconnecting the outflow circumferential structure to the circumferential undulating structure. Each strut comprises a first end terminating at a respective junction between two adjacent expandable cells of the outflow circumferential structure, and a second end terminating at the circumferential undulating strut structure. The prosthetic heart valve is configured to be collapsed for introduction into a patient using a catheter and to be expanded for deployment at an implantation site.