Open-heart surgery to replace a valve is always tricky. To give surgeons a little help in the procedure, engineers at Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, Calif., (www.edwards.com) developed the Tricentrix holder. The device makes it easier to hold and position the company's Perimount tissue valve, a replacement for faulty mitral valves. The holder's slim profile lets surgeons see more of the operating site. More importantly, it makes it easier to insert the replacement valve into the opening of the patent's original valve. Its design makes it easier for the doctor to position the valve, cut the restraining sutures, and remove the holder without getting entangled, a problem surgeons refer to as suture entrapment.