Automated heart valve manufacturing devices and methods

{
  "publication_number": "US11613834B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Automated heart valve manufacturing devices and methods",
  "abstract": "An automated system that can be used for prosthetic heart valve manufacturing or suturing procedures. The system can include a first automated fixture that includes an articulating arm and a target device holder. The system can also include one or more additional automated fixtures, which can be configured as one or more suturing arms that include another articulating arm and a needle holder. The first automated fixture can be configured to rotate a target device held by the holder to allow the 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 targeting system configured to provide positioning feedback to the system.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A fully automated system for forming sutures on a target device, the system comprising: an automated suture fixture comprising a target holder configured to maneuver the target device secured by the target holder; a first needle transfer fixture configured to secure a needle during a first portion of a suturing procedure; a second needle transfer fixture configured to secure the needle during a third portion of the suturing procedure; and an automated suturing arm comprising a needle holder configured to hold a needle during a second portion of the suturing procedure, the automated suturing arm configured to use the needle holder to take the needle from the first needle transfer fixture, to pass the needle to the second needle transfer fixture, to take the needle from the second needle transfer fixture, and to pass the needle to the first needle transfer fixture.",
    "2. The system of claim 1, wherein the automated suturing arm takes the needle from the second needle transfer fixture and passes the needle to the first needle transfer fixture through the target device as part of the suturing procedure.",
    "3. The system of claim 1, wherein the automated suture fixture moves the target device toward the first needle transfer fixture so that the needle held by the first needle transfer fixture passes through a portion of the target device as part of the suturing procedure.",
    "4. The system of claim 3, wherein the automated suture fixture moves the target device away from the first needle transfer fixture so that the needle held by the first needle transfer fixture passes through a different portion of the target device as part of the suturing procedure.",
    "5. The system of claim 1, wherein the needle holder of the automated suturing arm comprises gripping appendages that open and close to secure the needle.",
    "6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first needle transfer fixture comprises gripping appendages that open and close to secure the needle.",
    "7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second needle transfer fixtures are fixed in space and the automated suture fixture and the automated suturing arm move relative to the first and second needle transfer fixtures.",
    "8. The system of claim 1, wherein the needle is a single-tipped needle.",
    "9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the suturing procedure includes the first needle transfer fixture securing the needle while the automated suturing arm moves the target device towards the first needle transfer fixture so that the needle penetrates the target device.",
    "10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second portion of the suturing procedure includes the automated suturing arm taking the needle from the first needle transfer fixture to pull the needle through the target device and to pass the needle to the second needle transfer fixture.",
    "11. The system of claim 10, wherein the third portion of the suturing procedure includes the second needle transfer fixture securing the needle while the automated suturing arm reorients itself.",
    "12. The system of claim 11, wherein a fourth portion of the suturing procedure includes the automated suturing arm taking the needle from the second needle transfer fixture and passing the needle through the target device to the first needle transfer fixture.",
    "13. The system of claim 12, wherein a fifth portion of the suturing procedure includes the automated suture fixture moving the target device away from the first needle transfer fixture to cause the needle to pass through the target device.",
    "14. A fully automated system comprising: a first automated fixture comprising a plurality of motorized actuator devices and a target holder, the automated fixture being configured to maneuver a target device secured by the target holder; a second automated fixture comprising a plurality of motorized actuator devices and a first processing-device holder configured to hold a processing device, the second automated fixture configured to maneuver the processing device with the first processing-device holder to perform an operation on the target device; and a third automated fixture comprising a plurality of motorized actuator devices and a second processing-device holder configured to hold the processing device, the third automated fixture configured to maneuver the processing device with the second processing-device holder to perform a second operation on the target device.",
    "15. The system of claim 14, wherein the target device is a heart valve.",
    "16. The system of claim 14, wherein the processing device is a needle for suturing the target device, the system further comprising a needle transfer fixture configured to secure the needle during a suturing procedure to allow the second automated fixture to adjust an orientation of the needle relative to the first processing-device holder.",
    "17. The system of claim 14, wherein the target device holder is a gimbal holder assembly.",
    "18. The system of claim 17, wherein the gimbal holder assembly comprises a three-axis gimbal.",
    "19. The system of claim 14, wherein the first automated suture fixture and the second automated fixture each comprise a plurality of servo motor devices daisy-chained together.",
    "20. The system of claim 14, wherein the first automated fixture comprises an encoder associated with an articulation arm, the encoder configured to provide position information for the articulation arm."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure generally relates to the field of heart valve manufacturing and associated systems, devices, and methods, including heart valve suturing systems, devices, and methods.\n\nManufacturing prosthetic heart valves and other human prosthetic implant devices may require suturing, treatment, inspection, etc. of certain portions and/or components thereof. Accuracy and/or efficiency in execution of suturing operations or other operations for such devices can be important. Furthermore, it would be beneficial to reduce the possibility of operator strain that might arise under certain heart valve suturing operations or other operations.\n\nThis summary is meant to provide some examples and is not intended to be limiting of the scope of the invention in any way. For example, any feature included in an example of this summary is not required by the claims, unless the claims explicitly recite the features. Also, the features, steps, concepts, etc. described in examples in this summary and elsewhere in this disclosure can be combined in a variety of ways. The description herein relates to devices, apparatuses, systems, assemblies, methods, combinations, etc. that can be utilized for manufacturing and processing heart valves and/or associated or related components, devices, apparatuses, etc. Among other features, these or elements of these can utilize or include logic that may receive a set of parameters as input. In some embodiments, the set of parameters may be graphically displayed to a user after the parameters have been received as input.",
  "cpc": [
    "A61F 2/2412",
    "A61F 2/2415",
    "A61F 2220/0075",
    "A61F 2240/00",
    "A61F 2240/001",
    "A61K 2039/505",
    "A61K 39/015",
    "A61K 39/39575",
    "C07K 14/445",
    "C07K 16/205",
    "C07K 16/44",
    "D05B 19/02",
    "D05B 19/12",
    "D05B 23/00",
    "D05B 35/00",
    "D05B 55/02",
    "D05B 55/14",
    "D05B 97/08",
    "D10B 2509/06",
    "Y10S 901/09"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A61K 39/015",
    "A61K 39/395",
    "C07K 14/445",
    "C07K 16/20",
    "C07K 16/44",
    "A61F 2/24",
    "D05B 23/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Edwards Lifesciences Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "James R. Cody, III",
    "Ping-Yang Shih",
    "Tiffany Diemtrinh Tran"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2022-04-15",
  "publication_date": "2023-03-28",
  "grant_date": "2023-03-28",
  "priority_date": "2018-08-22",
  "application_number": "US-202217659474-A",
  "family_id": "67902586",
  "cited_by_count": 2,
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}