An assistance system that can be used for prosthetic heart valve manufacturing or suturing procedures includes an automated fixture that can comprise an articulation arm and a target device holder. The target device holder can be positioned and oriented to reduce operator strain during a manufacturing or inspection process. The assistance system includes a user input device enabling the operator to move between positions to assist in such processes. The assistance system can also be trained by capturing sequences of position data corresponding to a manufacturing or inspection process.

Due to rapid advancement in computing technology of both hardware and software, the labor intensive sewing process has been transformed into a technology-intensive automated process. During an automated process, product materials may become wrinkled or folded, which can slow down the automated process or result in human intervention. Various examples are provided related to the automation of sewing robots, and removal of wrinkles from products. Images of material on a work table can be captured and analyzed to determine if there are wrinkles or folds in the product. The robot can remove the wrinkle or fold by manipulating the material through the use of end effectors such as, e.g., budgers.

Due to rapid advancement in computing technology of both hardware and software, the labor intensive sewing process has been transformed into a technology-intensive automated process. During an automated process, product materials may become wrinkled or folded, which can slow down the automated process or result in human intervention. Various examples are provided related to the automation of sewing robots, and removal of wrinkles from products. Images of material on a work table can be captured and analyzed to determine if there are wrinkles or folds in the product. The robot can remove the wrinkle or fold by manipulating the material through the use of end effectors such as, e.g., budgers.

An assistance system that can be used for prosthetic heart valve manufacturing or suturing procedures includes an automated fixture that can comprise an articulation arm and a target device holder. The target device holder can be positioned and oriented to reduce operator strain during a manufacturing or inspection process. The assistance system includes a user input device enabling the operator to move between positions to assist in such processes. The assistance system can also be trained by capturing sequences of position data corresponding to a manufacturing or inspection process.

Methods for manufacturing or sewing a prosthetic heart valve and associated systems can include an assistance system that includes an automated fixture that can comprise an articulation arm and a target device holder. The automated fixture can be configured to rotate a target device held by the holder. The assistance system can include a camera system configured to generate an enlarged image of the target device, and a display configured to display the enlarged image. The display can also display information to aid an operator in performing a procedure, for example, instructions, reference images, or a visual indicator to indicate a target position on the target device for performing a step of the procedure.

A seat heater includes a substrate. A formed heating wire is disposed on the substrate. A sewing thread attaches the formed heating wire to the substrate. A method of fabricating the seat heater includes forming a straight heating wire into a formed heating wire having miniature wave shape, feeding the formed heating wire onto a substrate, and attaching the formed heating wire onto the substrate by sewing a thread.

A seat heater includes a substrate. A formed heating wire is disposed on the substrate. A sewing thread attaches the formed heating wire to the substrate. A method of fabricating the seat heater includes forming a straight heating wire into a formed heating wire having miniature wave shape, feeding the formed heating wire onto a substrate, and attaching the formed heating wire onto the substrate by sewing a thread.

According to the sewing system of the present embodiment, the sewing machine and the robot arm are fixedly supported at the fixed positions by the base. Therefore, when a target position of the robot arm for the sewing operation is set once, a relative positional relation between the robot arm and the sewing machine is kept by the base even though the sewing system is entirely moved. Therefore, it is not necessary to again perform a setting operation of the target position for the sewing operation, so that the burdens on the teaching operation and the other setting operations are reduced.

According to the sewing system of the present embodiment, the sewing machine and the robot arm are fixedly supported at the fixed positions by the base. Therefore, when a target position of the robot arm for the sewing operation is set once, a relative positional relation between the robot arm and the sewing machine is kept by the base even though the sewing system is entirely moved. Therefore, it is not necessary to again perform a setting operation of the target position for the sewing operation, so that the burdens on the teaching operation and the other setting operations are reduced.

A sewing machine includes a support surface for two plies of material to be sewn together and a sewing mechanism that is attached to the support surface and is in operative connection with a machine controller, wherein a plate element positioned between the two material plies is arranged in the material feed area thereof. A vertical adjustment device for the plate element that is actuatable by the machine controller adjusts a vertical distance between the support surface and the plate element, and thus also influences the feed of material to the sewing mechanism. The vertical adjustment device is equipped with an electromagnet for adjusting the position of the plate element. The plate element is equipped with a magnet, which cooperates with the electromagnet.