US 12,376,959 B2
Suture guard for a prosthetic valve
Nathan L. Bennett, Flagstaff, AZ (US); and Ryan S. Titone, Flagstaff, AZ (US)
Assigned to EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION, Irvine, CA (US)
Filed by EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION, Irvine, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 29, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/522,227.
Application 18/522,227 is a continuation of application No. 17/181,747, filed on Feb. 22, 2021, granted, now 11,857,410.
Application 17/181,747 is a continuation of application No. 16/170,795, filed on Oct. 25, 2018, granted, now 10,959,838, issued on Mar. 30, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/579,761, filed on Oct. 31, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2024/0090998 A1, Mar. 21, 2024
Int. Cl. A61F 2/24 (2006.01); A61B 17/04 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 2/2409 (2013.01) [A61F 2/2427 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0496 (2013.01); A61F 2/2412 (2013.01); A61F 2/2454 (2013.01); A61F 2220/0075 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
13. A system comprising:
a prosthetic heart valve comprising a commissure post; and
a suture guard configured to receive a fiber and to interface with and be disposed within an internal portion of the commissure post of the prosthetic heart valve, the suture guard being configured to assume an initial configuration and a shortened configuration, the fiber being configured to assume a tensioned state while the suture guard is in the shortened configuration, the fiber in the tensioned state being configured to deflect the commissure post inward toward a longitudinal axis of the prosthetic heart valve.