The present invention relates to a medical device, and in particular, to a
stent-based valve. The valve includes a radially expandable structural
frame comprising a proximal anchor and a distal anchor. The proximal and
distal anchors are formed from a lattice of interconnected elements, and
have a substantially cylindrical configuration with first and second open
ends and a longitudinal axis extending there between. The stent based
valve also comprises one or more connecting members, each having a first
and a second end. The first end of each connecting member is attached to
the proximal anchor and the second end of each connecting member is
attached to the distal anchor. A biocompatible valve assembly is attached
to the proximal anchor and extends distally along the one or more
connecting members.