The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 11, 2005
Filed:
Nov. 28, 2000
James L. Kurk, Lino Lakes, MN (US);
Chad Q. Cai, Woodbury, MN (US);
Steven D. Kruse, Bloomington, MN (US);
Yi-ren Woo, Alcove, MN (US);
James L. Kurk, Lino Lakes, MN (US);
Chad Q. Cai, Woodbury, MN (US);
Steven D. Kruse, Bloomington, MN (US);
Yi-Ren Woo, Alcove, MN (US);
St. Jude Medical, Inc., St. Paul, MN (US);
Abstract
Improved dip coating methods and mandrels for forming polymer leaflets and valve prostheses generally involve one or more features on the mandrel that facilitate the processing. The mandrel has a top surface and an outer surface comprising a plurality of ridges and contoured surfaces extending to the ridges. An edge on the mandrel separates the top surface and the contoured surfaces, with the mandrel edge corresponding to the free edge of the leaflet. In preferred embodiments, the edge separating the top surface from the contoured surfaces is sharp. The polymer formed on the top surface can be efficiently separated from the remaining portions of the polymer structure to form the free edges of the leaflets.