Expandable Aortic Crossing Catheter for TAVR Valve Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) face challenges in accessing the aortic valve due to interactions with diseased native valve leaflets, particularly in cases of calcification, aortic stenosis, and bicuspid valves, leading to increased procedural time, use of multiple accessories, and exposure to radiation.
Innovation Solution
The development of an aortic crossing catheter with an expandable member that moves between a constrained delivery configuration and a radially expanded deployed configuration, allowing for central positioning within the ascending aorta and facilitating the insertion of a crossing wire through the aortic valve.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional TAVR methods are used to access the aortic valve, then the valve can be replaced, but procedural time increases and radiation exposure increases due to difficulties with calcified or bicuspid valves
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an aortic crossing catheter as an intermediary device that facilitates wire crossing through the aortic valve. The catheter includes an expandable member that can be deployed to engage the aortic wall and provide a stable platform for guiding the crossing wire through the valve leaflets, thereby simplifying the procedure and reducing the need for prolonged fluoroscopy guidance
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable member is deployed in advance to establish a stable crossing platform before attempting to pass the crossing wire through the valve. This preliminary positioning and expansion of the catheter creates a controlled environment that makes subsequent wire crossing easier and faster, reducing overall procedural time and radiation exposure
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple accessories are used to access the aortic valve in complex cases, then valve replacement can be achieved, but device complexity and procedural time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The aortic crossing catheter is designed as a multi-functional device that can be used across various valve types including calcified and bicuspid valves. The expandable member can adapt to different aortic geometries and valve configurations, providing a universal solution that reduces the need for multiple specialized accessories for different valve pathologies
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the functions of valve engagement, wire guidance, and positioning into a single integrated catheter system. The expandable member integrates multiple functions that previously required separate accessories, simplifying the overall device set and reducing procedural complexity while maintaining adaptability to various valve types
Data Source
AI summary
An aortic crossing catheter for directing a crossing wire through the aortic valve may include an outer sheath, an inner sheath slidably disposed within the outer sheath, and an expandable member at least partially fixed to the inner sheath and configured to move between a constrained delivery configuration to a radially expanded deployed configuration. Axial movement of the inner and outer sheaths relative one another radially expands the expandable member such that when a crossing wire is inserted through a lumen of the inner sheath, the wire is directed through the aortic valve.