Patent ID: 11957579
Assignee: EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 8:
9. A loader assembly for loading a transcatheter heart valve into a delivery sheath for delivering the heart valve into a body of a patient, the loader assembly comprising:
a loader tube comprising a tube wall defining a coaxial bore;
a hub attached to at least a proximal portion of the loader tube;
a cap coupled to the hub; and
at least one seal disposed in the cap and positioned proximal to the loader tube, the at least one seal being configured to maintain hemostasis in the loader tube when the coaxial bore of the loader tube is in communication with a blood vessel of the patient;
wherein the proximal portion of the loader tube has one or more longitudinally extending score marks to facilitate splitting the loader tube along the one or more score marks, and
wherein the hub has a longitudinal slot and the one or more score marks are exposed to the outside of the loader assembly via the slot when the hub is attached to the proximal portion of the loader tube,
wherein the one or more score marks comprise two longitudinal score marks that are parallel to each other, and
wherein the hub has two longitudinally extending edges defining the longitudinal slot therebetween and the two longitudinal score marks are oriented circumferentially between the longitudinally extending edges.