Innovative prosthetic valve design for severe mitral annular calcification

Stanford researchers at the Woo Lab have designed an innovative prosthetic valve to address challenges in mitral valve replacement for patients with severe mitral annular calcification (MAC). Conventional procedures often result in para-valvular leaks due to the difficulty in removing all calcification, leading to poor patient outcomes.
The new valve design features a large detachable skirt proximal to the sewing cuff, allowing an additional layer of graft material to be sewn onto the left atrial tissue, ensuring a secure seal and eliminating the risk of potential para-valvular leaks. The design accommodates patients without severe MAC by allowing the skirt to be detached. This design comes in a collapsed geometry to allow for sewing ring implantation first, followed by skirt expansion, and lastly a second anastomosis suture line. The CAD renderings show only a mechanical valve design. However, the same concept and design can be applied to biologic valves, and even for aortic positions for patients

Stage of Development
Prototype Design

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