HEART VALVE PROSTHESIS

The present invention relates to medical techniques and can be used in heart surgery for the replacement of the damaged natural aortal and mitral human heart valves and also tricuspid and lung artery valves. A heart valve prosthesis comprises an annular body with a pair of flanges, and a closing element in the form of two or three flaps mounted by means of bearings into the body's recesses with freedom to be rotated. The body has a constant height on a greater portion of a ring circle, and ledges the number of which is equal to that of the flaps. The ledges are provided with flap rotation limiters. In the preferable embodiment, the ledges are W-shaped while their interior surface from the side of the direct flow of blood is inclined to the central axis of the body. The flaps have ascending and descending surfaces oriented to the direct and reverse flows of blood, respectively, a side edge and an edge for joining the other flap. The descending surface of a flap is flat and the ascending surface thereof is spherically concave. The flaps have the minimal thickness on an axis of symmetry at the joining edge. In the event when a closing element comprises three flaps, each of them has two joining edges obliquely converging toward the body's central axis. Also, the axes of rotation of the flaps will be arranged relative to each other at an angle of 60 DEG thereby to form the sides of an equilateral triangle. For the valve with two flaps the flange facing the direct flow of blood is thickened. Recesses for bearings enter into the thickened flange, said recesses having a lateral cylindrical surface and a concave bottom. The recesses for bearings can be configured as a triad of blind holes being in communication, which is comprised of one central and two side holes. And the radius and depth of the central hole are greater than the radii and depths of the side holes.