Annuloplasty Ring with Wing Hooks for Percutaneous Valve Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical methods for repairing mitral and tricuspid valves are invasive and risky, particularly for elderly patients, as they require opening the thoracic cavity and using a heart-lung machine, whereas a minimally invasive percutaneous approach could offer safer alternatives for treating valvular insufficiency and end-stage heart failure.
Innovation Solution
An expandable annuloplasty ring with a shape memory material and inflatable balloon for percutaneous delivery, featuring wing members with hooks for secure embedding into the cardiac wall and annulus, allowing for precise constriction and reshaping of the valve annulus to prevent insufficiency without causing stenosis, while maintaining the natural inter-trigonal distance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional open-heart surgery with heart-lung machine is used for valve repair, then complete valve repair can be achieved, but surgical risks and patient trauma are significantly increased
Solution Approach 1:
The procedure is divided into two separate steps: first delivering the annuloplasty ring to reshape the valve annulus, then separately delivering the valve prosthesis. This segmentation allows each component to be implanted through minimally invasive percutaneous access, avoiding the need for open-heart surgery and heart-lung machine while maintaining repair effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
A delivery catheter system serves as an intermediary device to transport both the annuloplasty ring and valve prosthesis through peripheral blood vessels to the heart. This intermediary mechanism enables minimally invasive delivery of complex valve repair components without requiring thoracic cavity opening
2Object-affected harmful factors
If percutaneous delivery method is used for annuloplasty ring, then surgical invasiveness is reduced, but secure embedding into cardiac wall becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The annuloplasty ring incorporates self-expanding features that allow it to automatically expand to its functional shape after delivery through the catheter. This self-service mechanism ensures secure embedding into the cardiac wall and valve annulus without requiring complex external deployment mechanisms, maintaining reliability while enabling percutaneous delivery
Solution Approach 2:
The annuloplasty ring is constructed with flexible materials that allow it to be compressed into a small profile for catheter delivery, then expand to its full functional shape at the implantation site. This flexible shell approach enables percutaneous delivery while ensuring secure embedding and reliable valve annulus reshaping
3Reliability
If valve annulus is constricted to correct insufficiency, then valve competence is improved, but valve stenosis may be caused
Solution Approach 1:
The annuloplasty ring is designed with non-uniform geometry that provides different levels of constriction at different segments of the valve annulus. This local quality approach allows targeted reshaping of specific dilated portions while preserving adequate opening area, improving valve competence without causing stenosis
Solution Approach 2:
The annuloplasty ring changes the geometric parameters of the valve annulus by reducing its diameter and reshaping it to a more circular configuration. This parameter change corrects annular dilation and improves leaflet coaptation for valve competence, while the controlled degree of constriction prevents stenosis
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 minimally invasive cardiac valve repair under local anesthesia, reducing surgical risks and complications, and effectively correcting valvular insufficiency by reshaping the valve annulus to restore normal function without the need for open-heart surgery.
Implementation Method 1
An expandable annuloplasty ring with a shape memory material
Implementation Method 2
The proximal end portion of the support member comprises a plurality of wing members that extend from the main body portion. Each of the wing members includes at least one hook member for embedding into a cardiac wall and into the annulus of the cardiac valve to secure the annuloplasty ring in the annulus.
Data Source
AI summary
An annuloplasty ring for repairing a cardiac valve includes an expandable support member having oppositely disposed proximal and distal end portions and a main body portion between the end portions. The proximal end portion of the support member includes a plurality of wing members that extend from the main body portion. Each of the wing members includes at least one hook member for embedding into a cardiac wall and the valve annulus to secure the annuloplasty ring in the valve annulus. The annuloplasty ring may be expanded into full contact engagement with the annulus of the cardiac valve by an inflatable balloon. Methods for repairing a cardiac valve using the annuloplasty ring are also provided.