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Abstract

A universal rotator for heart valve prothesis is provided including a heart valve rotator body having a handle portion that extends in a direction remote from a polycarbonate plastic rotator. The rotator body is suitably joined to the end of the handle and includes a transverse slot with semi-circular wedge-shaped extensions adapted to engage a mitral heart valve and an aortic heart valve for rotation. The rotator is used to spin a subassembly of a heart valve within a sewing cuff and locking ring to a more favorable position. The rotator can be used with both sides of the heart valve corresponding to either the mitral or aortic positions. The universal heart valve rotator for bileaflet mechanical heart prostheses can be used to rotate both mitral and aortic valves with a single instrument. The rotation instrument can be used to rotate a bileaflet mechanical heart valve prosthesis subassembly relative to a suture ring without substantial contact with the leaflets and to permit the leaflets to be fully examined between multiple use with the rotator.

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First Claim