Automated heart valve manufacturing
AssigneeEdwards Lifesciences Corporation
InventorsJames R. Cody, III, Ping-Yang Shih, Tiffany Diemtrinh Tran
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated system that can be used for prosthetic heart valve manufacturing or suturing procedures. The system includes automated fixtures that maneuver a needle and a target device. The automated fixtures can be suturing arms, target device holders, needle transfer fixtures, and/or needle holders. The automated fixtures can rotate a target device held by the holder to allow one or more additional automated fixtures to perform operations such as form sutures on the target device without intervention of a human operator. The system can include a display system configured to display status information of a suturing procedure.
Claims20
A method for forming sutures on a target device using a fully automated system, the method comprising:
- securing a needle in a first needle transfer fixture;
- maneuvering a target device to pass the needle through a material of the target device by automatically manipulating components of an automated suture fixture comprising a target holder, the target device secured by the target holder;
- maneuvering a suturing arm to grab the needle from the first needle transfer fixture using a needle holder of the suturing arm;
- pulling the needle through the material of the target device with the needle holder of the suturing arm;
- transferring the needle to a second needle transfer fixture;
- retrieving the needle from the second needle transfer fixture using needle holder of the suturing arm;
- passing, using the suturing arm, the needle to the first needle transfer fixture through the material of the target device;
- and
- maneuvering, using the automated suture fixture, the target device so that the needle passes all the way through the target device to form a suture on the target device.
A method for forming sutures on a target device using a fully automated system, the method comprising:
- maneuvering a target device by automatically manipulating components of an automated suture fixture comprising a target holder, the target device secured by the target holder;
- maneuvering a needle to perform a first operation of a suturing procedure on the target device, the needle secured by a suturing arm with a needle holder during the first operation;
- maneuvering the target device with the automated suture fixture to perform a second operation of the suturing procedure on the target device, the needle secured by a first needle transfer fixture during the second operation;
- and
- securing the needle in a second needle transfer fixture during a portion of the suturing procedure to allow the suturing arm to adjust an orientation of the needle relative to the needle holder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.