Method of assemblying a sutureless heart valve

Claim 1

A method of assembling a sutureless heart valve including an outer ring having a plurality of peripherally spaced-apart openings therethrough, an individual suture wire positioned in each opening and an inner ring journaled for rotation in the outer ring and having a plurality of peripherally spaced-apart retention points for the inNer ends of the wire sutures, comprising the steps of: mounting the inner ring in the outer ring with the peripherally spaced-apart openings of the outer ring aligned with the peripherally spaced-apart retention points of the inner ring; positioning individual suture wires in the openings and attaching each to a retention point; and, rotating the inner ring with respect to the outer ring to its retracted position to draw the suture wires interior of the outer-inner ring configuration.

Claim 2

A method of assembling a sutureless heart valve including an outer ring having a plurality of peripherally spaced-apart openings therethrough, an individual suture wire positioned in each opening and an inner ring journaled for rotation in the outer ring and having a plurality of peripherally spaced-apart retention points for the inNer ends of the wire sutures, comprising the steps of: mounting the inner ring in the outer ring with the peripherally spaced-apart openings of the outer ring aligned with the peripherally spaced-apart retention points of the inner ring; positioning individual suture wires in the openings and attaching each to a retention point; and, rotating the inner ring with respect to the outer ring to its retracted position to draw the suture wires interior of the outer-inner ring configuration.

Claim 3

A method of assembling a sutureless heart valve including an outer ring having a plurality of peripherally spaced-apart openings therethrough, an individual suture wire positioned in each opening and an inner ring journaled for rotation in the outer ring and having a plurality of peripherally spaced-apart retention points for the inner ends of the wire sutures, comprising the steps of: mounting the inner ring in the outer ring with the peripherally spaced-apart openings of the outer ring aligned with the peripherally spaced-apart retention points of the inner ring; attaching individual lengths of suture wire through the openings to the retention points; rotating the inner ring with respect to the outer ring to a location just short of its fully retracted position to draw a preselected length of the wires interior of the outer-inner ring configuration; cutting each wire just beyond the outer surface of the outer ring and sharpening each of the cut ends; and, rotating the inner ring to its fully retracted position where the sharpened points are just interior of the outer surface of the outer ring.

Claim 4

A method of assembling a sutureless heart valve including an outer ring having a plurality of peripherally spaced-apart openings therethrough, an individual suture wire positioned in each opening and an inner ring journaled for rotation in the outer ring and having a plurality of peripherally spaced-apart retention points for the inner ends of the wire sutures, comprising the steps of: mounting the inner ring in the outer ring with the peripherally spaced-apart openings of the outer ring aligned with the peripherally spaced-apart retention points of the inner ring; attaching individual lengths of suture wire through the openings to the retention points; rotating the inner ring with respect to the outer ring to a location just short of its fully retracted position to draw a preselected length of the wires interior of the outer-inner ring configuration; cutting each wire just beyond the outer surface of the outer ring and sharpening each of the cut ends; and, rotating the inner ring to its fully retracted position where the sharpened points are just interior of the outer surface of the outer ring.

Claim 5

A method of assembling a heart valve, including an outer ring having two spaced annular series of openings therethrough, a series of generally U-shaped suture wires forming two series of sutures extending outwardly through the two series of openings, an inner ring journaled for rotation within the outer ring and having a pair of annular, suturereceiving grooves radially aligned with the opening and separated by a first annular rib formed with a series of spaced slots for receiving the bight portions of the suture wires, and a second annular rib in the exterior surface of the inner ring forming a wall of one of the grooves and having a series of spaced slots therein, comprising the steps of: positioning one leg of each suture wire in a respective opening in one series of openings in the outer ring and the other leg of each suture wire in a respective opening in the other series of openings with the bight portion of the suture wires extending between the two series of openings on the inner side of the outer ring; axially aligning the bight portions of the suture wires with the slots of the second rib; moving the inner ring into the outer ring so that the bight portions are moved through the slots in the second rib and are then positioned within the slots in the rib between the grooves; and, rotating the inner ring with respect to the outer ring to its retracted position to draw the sutures into the annular grooves within the inner ring.

Claim 6

A method of assembling a heart valve, including an outer ring having two spaced annular series of openings therethrough, a series of generally U-shaped suture wires forming two series of sutures extending outwardly through the two series of openings, an inner ring journaled for rotation within the outer ring and having a pair of annular, suturereceiving grooves radially aligned with the opening and separated by a first annular rib formed with a series of spaced slots for receiving the bight portions of the suture wires, and a second annular rib in the exterior surface of the inner ring forming a wall of one of the grooves and having a series of spaced slots therein, comprising the steps of: positioning one leg of each suture wire in a respective opening in one series of openings in the outer ring and the other leg of each suture wire in a respective opening in the other series of openings with the bight portion of the suture wires extending between the two series of openings on the inner side of the outer ring; axially aligning the bight portions of the suture wires with the slots of the second rib; moving the inner ring into the outer ring so that the bight portions are moved through the slots in the second rib and are then positioned within the slots in the rib between the grooves; and, rotating the inner ring with respect to the outer ring to its retracted position to draw the sutures into the annular grooves within the inner ring.

Claim 8

A method of assembling a sutureless heart valve including an outer ring having a plurality of peripherally spaced-apart openings therethrough, an individual suture wire positioned in each opening and an inner ring journaled for rotation in the outer ring and having a plurality of peripherally spaced-apart retention points for innEr portions of the wire sutures, comprising the steps of: positioning suture wires through the openings of said outer ring and engaging inner portions of the individual suture wires to respective retention points of said inner ring; and rotating the inner ring with respect to the outer ring to its retracted position to draw the suture wires interior of the outer-inner ring configuration.

Claim 9

A method of assembling a sutureless heart valve including an outer ring having a plurality of peripherally spaced-apart openings therethrough, an individual suture wire positioned in each opening and an inner ring journaled for rotation in the outer ring and having a plurality of peripherally spaced-apart retention points for innEr portions of the wire sutures, comprising the steps of: positioning suture wires through the openings of said outer ring and engaging inner portions of the individual suture wires to respective retention points of said inner ring; and rotating the inner ring with respect to the outer ring to its retracted position to draw the suture wires interior of the outer-inner ring configuration.

Claim 10

A method of assembling a sutureless heart valve including an outer ring having a plurality of peripherally spaced-apart openings therethrough, an individual suture wire positioned in each opening and an inner ring journaled for rotation in the outer ring and having a plurality of peripherally spaced-apart retention points for inner portions of the wire sutures, comprising the steps of: positioning said suture wires through said opening of said outer ring; positioning engaging inner portions of said individual suture wires to respective retention points of said inner ring; and rotating the inner ring with respect to the outer ring to its retracted position to draw the suture wires interior of the outer-inner ring configuration.

Claim 11

A method of assembling a sutureless heart valve including an outer ring having a plurality of peripherally spaced-apart openings therethrough, an individual suture wire positioned in each opening and an inner ring journaled for rotation in the outer ring and having a plurality of peripherally spaced-apart retention points for inner portions of the wire sutures, comprising the steps of: positioning said suture wires through said opening of said outer ring; positioning engaging inner portions of said individual suture wires to respective retention points of said inner ring; and rotating the inner ring with respect to the outer ring to its retracted position to draw the suture wires interior of the outer-inner ring configuration.