Patent ID: 11877930
Assignee: MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 8:
9. A method of loading a stented prosthesis to a delivery device, the method comprising:
providing a stented prosthetic heart valve;
providing a first elongate tension member forming a primary loop circumscribing the stented prosthetic heart valve;
providing a delivery device including:
a handle assembly;
an actuator;
a shaft assembly interconnected to the handle assembly;
a torque shaft positioned at least partially within the shaft assembly and extending along a rotational axis of the torque shaft to an axial distal end of the torque shaft, the torque shaft further comprising a longitudinal slit extending through the axial distal end of the torque shaft in a linear direction of the rotational axis;

positioning the stented prosthesis over the shaft assembly;
positioning the first elongate tension member within the slit; and
actuating the actuator as to rotate the torque shaft in a first direction to wind the first elongate tension member around the torque shaft to compress the stented prosthetic heart valve over the shaft assembly.