Patent ID: 7681430

Claim:
A medical device crimping system comprising: a crimper, the crimper defining a crimping iris, the crimping iris having an open state and a closed state, in the open state the cross-sectional area of the crimping iris being greater than in the closed state; a plurality of protective strips, each of the strips extending longitudinally through the crimping iris, each of the strips being radially offset from one another; and a plurality of plungers, each strip having a first plunger and a second plunger radially adjacent thereto, the first plunger positioned adjacent to a first end of the crimping iris and the second plunger positioned adjacent to a second end of the crimping iris, each plunger being moveable between an outward position and an inward position, in the inward position each plunger engaging one strip to bias the one strip in a direction radially inward relative to the outward position; wherein each strip extends from a feeder spool to a receiver spool, the feeder spool constructed and arranged to feed a predetermined length of the strip to the receiver spool, each first plunger being positioned between the first end of the crimping iris and one feeder spool, each second plunger positioned between the second end of the crimping iris and one receiver spool.