Expandable Anchor Lock Mechanism for Reversible Heart Valve Placement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current endovascular heart valve replacement methods face challenges such as irreversible deployment, inaccurate placement, high risk of blocking coronary ostia, and insufficient radial strength, leading to complications like migration and paravalvular regurgitation.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising an expandable anchor with a lock mechanism and a replacement valve, where the anchor has a lip and skirt region for percutaneous expansion, allowing for dynamic repositioning and reversible deployment, and a non-hydraulic actuator for enhanced radial strength and secure anchoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the anchor is made expandable and retrievable to allow repositioning, then placement accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases due to the lock mechanism and actuator components
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor is designed with dynamic expandability, transitioning from a compressed delivery state to an expanded deployed state. The expandable structure allows the anchor to be repositioned before final deployment, and the lock mechanism provides dynamic control over the deployment state, enabling retrieval if misplacement occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor system is divided into distinct functional segments: the expandable anchor body, the lock mechanism with interlocking elements, and the actuator system. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each component and simplifies the overall control architecture for deployment and retrieval operations.
2Strength
If the stent is made permanently fixed to provide stable valve support, then radial strength is improved, but the ability to correct positioning errors is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The lock mechanism is designed to engage only after the anchor has been positioned correctly and expanded to its final configuration. This preliminary positioning phase allows for adjustment and verification before the irreversible locking action occurs, preventing premature fixation that would eliminate repositioning options.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor's radial strength parameter is dynamically controlled through the expansion process. In the compressed state, the anchor has low radial strength for easy delivery and repositioning. Upon expansion and locking, the radial strength increases to provide stable valve support, achieving both repositioning capability and structural strength at different stages.
3Ease of operation
If the delivery profile is reduced to enable percutaneous delivery, then ease of operation is improved, but the radial strength during delivery is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor is nested within a delivery catheter in a compressed configuration, similar to a nested doll structure. This nesting allows the anchor to pass through the patient's vasculature percutaneously with a small profile while maintaining its full structural integrity. Upon deployment, the anchor expands from its nested state to achieve full radial strength for valve support.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables precise and reversible placement of the heart valve, reducing the risk of complications like migration and paravalvular regurgitation, while providing enhanced radial strength for stable valve function.
Implementation Method 1
an expandable anchor adapted to be delivered endovascularly to a vicinity of the heart valve
Implementation Method 2
The lock mechanism may include first and second mating interlocking elements
Implementation Method 3
An actuator may be provided to apply an actuation force on the anchor
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus for endovascularly replacing a patient's heart valve, including: a replacement valve adapted to be delivered endovascularly to a vicinity of the heart valve; an expandable anchor adapted to be delivered endovascularly to the vicinity of the heart valve; and a lock mechanism configured to maintain a minimum amount of anchor expansion. The invention also includes a method for endovascularly replacing a patient's heart valve. In some embodiments the method includes the steps of: endovascularly delivering a replacement valve and an expandable anchor to a vicinity of the heart valve; expanding the anchor to a deployed configuration; and locking the anchor in the deployed configuration.