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:
- retrieving a pre-programmed suturing procedure from a data store;
- securing the target device using a target holder of an automated suture fixture;
- maneuvering, using the automated suture fixture, the target holder according to the pre-programmed suturing procedure;
- maneuvering, using a plurality of automated suturing arms, a needle using a needle holder of each of the plurality of automated suturing arms, the needle being maneuvered according to the pre-programmed suturing procedure, maneuvering the needle including passing the needle between needle holders of the plurality of automated suturing arms;
- displaying, using a display system, to an operator graphical information related to a status of the pre-programmed suturing procedure;
- and
- acquiring, using a targeting system, images of the target device during the pre-programmed suturing procedure.
A method for forming sutures on a target device using a fully automated system, the method comprising:
- retrieving a pre-programmed suturing procedure from a data store;
- securing the target device using a target holder of an automated suture fixture, the automated suture fixture configured to remain fixed in location and to rotate to change an orientation of the target device, the target holder remaining fixed in location while rotating;
- rotating, using the automated suture fixture, the target holder according to the pre-programmed suturing procedure;
- maneuvering, using a plurality of automated suturing arms, a needle using a needle holder of each of the plurality of automated suturing arms, the needle being maneuvered according to the pre-programmed suturing procedure, maneuvering the needle including passing the needle between needle holders of the plurality of automated suturing arms;
- passing the needle to a needle fixture comprising a needle holder, the needle fixture configured to remain in a fixed location, the pre-programmed suturing procedure including passing the needle between the needle holders of the plurality of automated suturing arms and the needle holder of the needle fixture;
- displaying, using a display system, to an operator graphical information related to a status of the pre-programmed suturing procedure;
- and
- acquiring, using a targeting system, images of the target device during the pre-programmed suturing procedure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.