METHOD OF FORMING ROTATABLE SUTURING MEMBER ON A DEVICE

• US 3,781,969 A
• Filed: 08/11/1972
• Issued: 01/01/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Anderson
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Anderson
• Inventors: Anderson, Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Moon, Charlie T.
• Application Number:
  US05/279,936
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 29/445,447,527.1 3/1 264/45,230,257,266
• US Class Current: 29/445
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2406 without fixed axis
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2409 Support rings therefor, e.g. for connecting valves to tissue annuloplasty rings A61F2/2442
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/901 Method of manufacturing prosthetic device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49861 Sizing mating parts during final positional association
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49865 by temperature differential [e.g., shrink fit]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4998 Combined manufacture including applying or shaping of fluent material

Abstract

A suturing member and method of forming the suturing member on an implantable device, as a heart valve. The suturing member has a porous fabric cover surrounding a semi-rigid plastic core. An annular sleeve of heat shrinkable plastic material located within the cover holds the cover in assembled relation with the device in a manner which allows for rotaton of the device after the suturing member has been attached to the heart tissue. In the method of forming and mounting the suturing member on the device, the suturing member is shaped and cured on the device with the use of a mold. The mold is heated to cure the plastic core of the suturing member and bond the core to the inner surface of the cover.

Claims

1. A process of making a suturing member and mounting the suturing member on a device having an outside portion for holding the suturing member comprising:

providing a cylindrical seamless cover of a size to fit around said device, placing said cover around said device with a section of the cover located adjacent the outside portion of the device, locating a sleeve of heat shrinkable material around said section of the cover, subjecting the sleeve to heat to shrink said sleeve to hold said section in engagement with the outside portion of the sleeve, enclosing plastic material within the cover, shaping the suturing member on the device into the desired shape, and curing the enclosed uncured plastic material to maintain said shape of the suturing member.

2. The process of claim 1 including:

wrapping cords around said sleeve after the sleeve has been heat shrunk and securing said cords to hold the cords on said sleeve.

3. The process of claim 1 including:

providing said section of the cover with annular continuous stitches and securing said stitches to hold the cover on the outside portion of the device.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein:

the core of plastic material is cured by subjecting it to heat.

5. The process of claim 1 including:

providing outwardly open annular grooves in opposite end portions of said sleeve and wrapping cords in said grooves to provide a contracting holding force on said end portions.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein:

the suturing member is shaped by pressing the cover and uncured plastic material into a mold cavity.

7. The process of claim 1 including:

subjecting opposite end portions of said sleeve after the heat shrinking thereof to contracting and holding forces.

8. The process of claim 1 including:

positioning the uncured plastic material in engagement with the inside surface of the cover during the shaping of the suturing member, and bonding the core plastic material to said inside surface during the curing of saId core plastic material.

9. The process of claim 1 including:

stitching portions of the cover together to enclose the core plastic material within the cover.