Autogenics

David Hemsley

Ernest Lane

David Tompkins

The present invention provides a tissue cutting device and a method for accurately cutting tissue into tissue leaflets for autologous tissue heart valves in a minimal amount of time. The device includes a flexible backing pad located between a rotatable rotary table and a puck which houses several sharpened blades. The tissue to be cut is located on the flexible backing pad adjacent to the blades. The rotary table includes a hemispherically shaped raised cutting bar on the upper surface. When the rotary table is rotated, the cutting bar pushes the tissue against the blades in the puck, cutting the tissue into the desired shape.

Rotary tissue cutting die

An apparatus and a method for constructing a heart valve prepared from autologous tissue. Three tissue leaflets are held in place with tissue anchors on a tissue mounting frame having an annular base and a plurality of commissure posts extending from the base. An elastomeric sheath rests gently on the tissue leaflets to prevent the leaflets from coming off of the anchor hooks and encloses the leaflets to form valve cusps. The leaflets touch each other on a coaptation line with an angle of approximately 65&deg; relative to the commissure post. The heart valves can be constructed intraoperatively in a short time, typically ten minutes. The low coaptation angle and the fact that the leaflets are held in place without being clamped between two unyielding members minimize stress on the tissue.

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Rickmansworth, United Kingdom

David Hemsley