Artificial Valve With Threshold-Actuated Flow Regulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing artificial valves for implantation in mammalian blood vessels lack the ability to regulate blood flow effectively, particularly in conditions of reduced circulation and oxygen supply, and often fail to maintain optimal blood pressure dynamics.
Innovation Solution
An artificial valve with a closing mechanism that includes a moving part adapted to move between open and closed positions based on predefined threshold values of physical or functional parameters, such as blood pressure or heart muscle contraction, allowing for passive or powered movements to control blood flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional artificial valve is used, then the valve structure is simple, but the blood flow regulation capability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The valve employs a movable closing mechanism that can dynamically adjust between open and closed positions based on blood pressure thresholds. The closing mechanism includes a movable member that responds to pressure differential changes, enabling adaptive blood flow regulation rather than a static design. This dynamic capability allows the valve to maintain optimal blood flow while regulating pressure, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and regulation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve utilizes the body's own blood pressure to automatically trigger the closing mechanism. When blood pressure exceeds a predefined threshold, the pressure differential directly actuates the movable closing member without requiring external power sources or complex control systems. This self-actuating mechanism provides effective blood flow regulation while maintaining relative structural simplicity.
2Measurement precision
If the valve uses passive movement only, then the device complexity is reduced, but the blood pressure control precision is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The valve system incorporates a controllable parameter that can switch between passive and powered movement modes. The closing mechanism is designed to respond to blood pressure threshold changes through passive movement, while also capable of receiving external control signals to adjust its operation. This parameter change capability allows precise blood pressure control by activating powered movement only when needed, maintaining simplicity during normal operation while enabling precise control during critical conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
An artificial valve (5; 10; 20; 30; 50) for implantation in a mammal body, in or adjacent to a blood vessel, comprising a casing (12; 37; 61) and a closing mechanism. Part of the closing mechanism is a moving part (11; 21, 22; 31, 32, 33; 51) adapted to make movements to assume an open and a closed position for opening and closing of the blood vessel and positions between said open and closed positions, the closing mechanism (11; 21, 22; 31, 32, 33; 51) is adapted to let the moving part initiate and carry out its movements when a predefined threshold value is reached by a physical parameter of the mammal or a functional parameter of a device (8) used by the mammal. The closing mechanism is arranged to power at least one of said movements of the moving part (51) and to let a movement of the moving part take place passively.