Method of manufacture of a heart valve support frame
First Claim
1. A method of forming a heart valve support frame, comprising:
- providing a heart valve support frame; and
electropolishing the heart valve support frame.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods for forming a support frame for flexible leaflet heart valves from a starting blank include converting a two-dimensional starting blank into the three-dimensional support frame. The material may be superelastic, such as NITINOL, and the method may include bending the 2-D blank into the 3-D form and shape setting it. A merely elastic material such as ELGILOY may be used and plastically deformed in stages, possibly accompanied by annealing, to obtain the 3-D shape. Alternatively, a tubular blank could be formed to define a non-tubular shape, typically conical. A method for calculating the precise 2-D blank shape is also disclosed. A mandrel assembly includes a mandrel and ring elements for pressing the blank against the external surface of the mandrel prior to shape setting.
-
Citations
13 Claims
-
1. A method of forming a heart valve support frame, comprising:
-
providing a heart valve support frame; and
electropolishing the heart valve support frame. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
Specification