US Patent Issued to EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES on March 25 for "Purse-string sutures" (Maryland, California Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 26 -- United States Patent no. 12,256,920, issued on March 25, was assigned to EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES Corp. (Irvine, Calif.).

"Purse-string sutures" was invented by Stephen Epstein (Baltimore), John Richard Carpenter (Santa Ana, Calif.), Felino V. Cortez Jr. (Bowie, Md.) and Stephen Cournane (Severn, Md.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A method of suturing a tissue opening can comprise placing a tissue-facing surface of a first pad, a second pad and a third pad over respective tissue areas adjacent to the tissue opening. The second pad can be positioned on a first side of the first pad and the third pad can be positioned on a second side of the first pad. The first and sec...