Devices for assisting with heart valve manufacturing
AssigneeEdwards Lifesciences Corporation
InventorsArthur I. Koral, James R. Cody, III, Ping-Yang Shih, Tiffany Diemtrinh Tran
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An assistance system that can be used for prosthetic heart valve manufacturing or suturing procedures includes an automated fixture that can comprise an articulation arm and a target device holder. The target device holder can be positioned and oriented to reduce operator strain during a manufacturing or inspection process. The assistance system includes a user input device enabling the operator to move between positions to assist in such processes. The assistance system can also be trained by capturing sequences of position data corresponding to a manufacturing or inspection process.
Claims20
A suturing system comprising:
- an automated suture fixture comprising a plurality of motorized actuator devices and a suture target holder, the automated suture fixture being configured to position the suture target holder to position a target suture device mounted to the suture target holder;
- a data store configured to store suturing procedure script data that includes data representing a plurality of positions of the suture target holder;
- and
- a controller communicatively coupled to the data store and to the automated suture fixture, the controller configured to:
- load from the data store the suturing procedure script data;
- retrieve from the suturing procedure script data first data representing a first position of the plurality of positions of the suture target holder;
- provide position control signals to the automated suture fixture to cause the automated suture fixture to position the suture target holder in the first position;
- retrieve from the suturing procedure script data a second position of the plurality of positions of the suture target holder;
- and
- provide position control signals to the automated suture fixture to cause the automated suture fixture to position the suture target holder in the second position.
A method of suturing a target device, the method comprising:
- loading from a data store suturing procedure script data that includes data representing a plurality of positions of a suture target holder of an automated suture fixture, the automated suture fixture comprising an articulating arm to which the suture target holder is coupled;
- retrieving from the suturing procedure script data first data representing a first position of the plurality of positions of the suture target holder;
- providing position control signals to the automated suture fixture to cause the automated suture fixture to position the suture target holder in the first position;
- retrieving from the suturing procedure script data a second position of the plurality of positions of the suture target holder;
- providing position control signals to the automated suture fixture to cause the automated suture fixture to position the suture target holder in the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.