Edwards Lifesciences Corporation

Galileo Mobility Instruments Ltd.

Ortho-Space Ltd.

Gregory Rinberg

Tomer Saar

Dan Raz

Avishay Novoplanski

Yuval Spector

Tamir S Levi

Yair A Neumann

Hanoch Cohen-Tzemach

Yoav Meiraz

Omar Elmalak

Gad Harif

Disclosed herein is a crimping device for crimping a prosthetic heart valve. The crimping device includes a plurality of crimping jaws circumferentially arranged around a crimping orifice having a central crimping axis, each crimping jaw having an inner crimping wedge. The crimping device also includes a rotating cam wheel adapted to act on the crimping jaws, a stationary outer housing containing the crimping jaws and the cam wheel, and a plurality of guide elements. Each guide element is constrained by fixed grooves in the outer housing for translating the crimping jaws inwardly toward the crimping axis, thereby reducing a size of the crimping orifice. Molded halves are provided for sandwiching the rotating cam wheel, the crimping jaws, and the guide elements.

Crimping device

A radially expandable prosthetic valve can comprise an annular frame, at least one expansion mechanism and a cord. The annular frame can be radially collapsible and expandable between a radially collapsed configuration and a radially expanded configuration. The expansion mechanism can comprise a first member attached to the frame at a first location and a second member attached to the frame at a second location axially spaced from the first location. The cord can extend at least partially along the expansion mechanism in a first direction, be reeved around a portion of the second member, and extend at least partially along the expansion mechanism in a second direction opposite the first direction. Applying a proximally directed force to a first portion of the cord can cause the second member to move relative to the first member, which can cause the frame to foreshorten axially and expand radially.

Mechanically expandable prosthetic heart valve and delivery apparatus

Disclosed herein is a method of crimping a prosthetic heart valve using a compact crimping mechanism. The crimping mechanism includes a plurality of jaws configured for coordinated inward movement toward a crimping axis to reduce the size of a crimping iris around a stented valve. A rotating cam wheel acts on the jaws and displaces them inward. An actuation mechanism includes a lead screw, carriage assembly and a linkage to rotate the cam wheel with significant torque.

Compact crimping device

An apparatus for rolling a bladder includes a support structure, a rolling pin, and a bladder-mounting pin. The apparatus optionally includes a rolling initiator Rolling a bladder includes inserting the bladder while unrolled into an apparatus for rolling a bladder, inserting the bladder between a rolling pin and a bladder-mounting pin of the rolling machine, and rotating the rolling pin to (a) advance a portion of the bladder between the rolling pin and the bladder-mounting pin, (b) roll the portion of the bladder around the bladder-mounting pin, and (c) drive the bladder-mounting pin to rotate in an opposite direction from that of the rolling pin.

Bladder rolling machine

Disclosed herein is a method of crimping a prosthetic heart valve using a compact crimping mechanism. The crimping mechanism includes a plurality of jaws configured for coordinated inward movement toward a crimping axis to reduce the size of a crimping iris around a stented valve. A rotating cam wheel acts on the jaws and displaces them inward. A number of Cartesian guide elements cooperate with the jaws to distribute forces within the crimping mechanism. The guide elements are located between the crimping jaws and an outer housing and are constrained by the outer housing for movement along lines that are tangential to a circle centered on the crimping axis. The guide elements engage at least some of the crimping jaws while the rest are in meshing engagement so as to move in synch. An actuation mechanism includes a lead screw, carriage assembly and a linkage to rotate the cam wheel with significant torque.

A compact crimping mechanism well-suited for use with devices such as stented prosthetic heart valves. The crimping mechanism includes a plurality of jaws configured for coordinated inward movement toward a crimping axis to reduce the size of a crimping iris around a stented valve. A rotating cam wheel acts on the jaws and displaces them inward. A number of Cartesian guide elements cooperate with the jaws to distribute forces within the crimping mechanism. The guide elements are located between the crimping jaws and an outer housing and are constrained by the outer housing for movement along lines that are tangential to a circle centered on the crimping axis. The guide elements engage at least some of the crimping jaws while the rest are in meshing engagement so as to move in synch. An actuation mechanism includes a lead screw, carriage assembly and a linkage to rotate the cam wheel with significant torque.

A traction system for a vehicle has a support frame that defines a circular track belt support that is revolvable about an axis at its center, a flexible track belt; and a track belt stretching assembly comprising one or more track belt stretching rollers. The system has one traction configuration in which the flexible traction belt is held on said support track forming a substantially circular, wheel-like traction surface, and can change to a stretching state in which said rollers engage said belt and stretch it from its state in said one traction configuration to a stretched state to define one or more other traction configurations of the system.

Adaptable traction system of a vehicle

A traction system for a vehicle has a support frame that defines a circular track belt support that is revolvable about an axis at its center, a flexible track belt; and a track belt stretching assembly comprising one or more track belt stretching rollers. The system has one traction configuration in which the flexible traction belt is held on the support track forming a substantially circular, wheel-like traction surface, and can change to a stretching state in which the rollers engage the belt. In the stretched state, the rollers stretch the belt from its state in the one traction configuration to a stretched state to define one or more other traction configurations of the system.

Growing community of inventors

Haifa, Israel

Gregory Rinberg