Compact crimping device

• Main Authors: Rinberg, Gregory, Saar, Tomer
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 21.07.2020
• Subjects: BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF,TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, E.G. STENTS; FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; FIRST-AID KITS; FOMENTATION; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; PROSTHESES; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS

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.