Abstract: Suture rings are provided for heart valves having surrounding stiffening protrusions that are either integral parts of the heart valve bodies or are rigid rings held in interference fit within peripheral grooves of heart valve bodies. Metal retainer rings engage the stiffening protrusions to lock the retainer rings to the valve bodies and carry fabric coverings on their exterior surfaces that are suturable to the heart tissues. Deformable portions of the retainer rings are used to provide engagement between the retainer rings and the protrusions and also to permanently position bands that secure the fabric coverings to the retainer rings.

Abstract: A pressure pump for fluid in which tubing is wound about an orbitally movable pressure member inside of a sleeve member which is defined by a pair of pivotally mounted, substantially semi-circular jaws to permit opening and closing of the jaws about the pressure member to facilitate installation of tubing. Sliding gripper means may be carried by the pump and positioned to interact in one position with grippable means on the free ends of the jaws to hold them in closed relation, and for the sliding gripper means to be moved to a second position to permit the jaws to open. Simultaneously, the sliding gripper means can serve as a latch for a lid of the casing in which the pump is carried. Also the casing may have a partition with groove means having an enlarged portion for receiving joined connectors in the tubing, and a power source such as a battery may be attached to a removable portion of the casing in such a manner as to prevent accidental reverse installation of the battery.

Abstract: A package for a prosthetic heart valve or the like comprising a pair of separable mating package sections for receiving the heart valve and retaining it in sterile manner in biased position against a resilient pad. A separate retainer member is positioned in the package for biasing the heart valve against the pad, the retainer member being a rigid sheet having an aperture adapted to receive a portion of the valve. One of the mating package sections is provided with a shoulder which urges the retainer member into a biased position against the heart valve so that the valve is in turn biased against the resilient pad. The shoulder is adapted to slide along the surface of the retainer member so that the torque is not transmitted to the heart valve when the package sections are rotated to open or close the package.

Abstract: There is disclosed herein an apparatus and method for preparing a continuous, hollow, and semipermeable filament for use in a dialyzer which includes a plurality of substantially-equal-length open-ended fibers.The apparatus includes a body having a supply spool of filament and a take-up reel having at least two radially-spaced support means about which the filament is wound. Drive means rotate the take-up reel and a filament guide is provided for laterally positioning the filament on the support member so as to prevent close packing of the filament windings. The take-up reel includes a winding plate for carrying the filament support means and hub-and-locking means for releasably mounting the winding plate on the machine.The method includes winding the filament from the spool onto the take-up reel; grasping each of the sections of filament between the support means; and cutting the filament adjacent the support means so as to form a plurality of bundles of open-ended fibers for use in a hollow fiber dialyzer.

Abstract: There is disclosed herein an apparatus and method for preparing a continuous, hollow, and semipermeable filament for use in a dialyzer which includes a plurality of substantially-equal-length open-ended fibers.The apparatus includes a body having a supply spool of filament and a take-up reel having at least two radially-spaced support means about which the filament is wound. Drive means rotate the take-up reel and a filament guide is provided for laterally positioning the filament on the support member so as to prevent close packing of the filament windings. The take-up reel includes a winding plate for carrying the filament support means and a hub-and-locking means for releasably mounting the winding plate on the machine.