Patent ID: 7185597

Claim:
A method for stitching thread to the wall of a tubular medical implant, comprising the steps of: a. mounting the implant on an implant support, b. rotating and translating the implant support about and along its longitudinal axis in order to position a needle at any desired location over the implant surface, c. operating the needle to feed a first thread from a first side of the implant wall through the implant wall, wherein said first side of the implant wall is the outside of the implant, d. forming a first loop of the first thread on the second side of the implant wall, wherein said second side is the inside of the implant, e. passing thread through said loop, and f. pulling said loop closed to form a stitch, wherein the step of passing thread through said loop is carried out by means for passing thread through said loop, said means being driven back and forth along the longitudinal axis of the implant.