Asymmetric Heart Anchor Device for Tissue Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current heart implants for managing blood flow patterns often cause high pressure stress on tissue, leading to potential damage and clotting, and existing solutions may require piercing the heart tissue, which is not always desirable.
Innovation Solution
A medical implant with a plurality of arms that anchor to the heart tissue on both sides of a wall, with some arms not having a matching counterpart on the other side, distributing pressure evenly and minimizing contact with blood flow to reduce tissue damage and clotting, and a valve system using a single flap for blood passage with a large skirt to enhance sealing and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a valve is anchored using support arms piercing through the heart wall, then the valve is securely anchored in place, but the heart tissue may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor device employs asymmetric arm configuration where arms on one side of the septum do not have matching overlapping arms on the opposite side. This asymmetric design distributes pressure more evenly across the tissue and reduces concentrated stress points that would cause damage, while still providing secure anchoring through the unequal distribution of anchor points.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor device is divided into multiple separate arms that can independently engage with the tissue. This segmentation allows each arm to distribute its anchoring force separately, preventing any single point from bearing excessive load that would cause tissue damage, while collectively providing secure anchoring.
2Reliability
If multiple arms are used to anchor the implant, then the implant is securely fixed, but the pressure stress on tissue increases
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric arm configuration ensures that arms are distributed unevenly across the tissue surface, with some sides having more arms than others. This prevents concentration of pressure stress at symmetric opposite points and distributes the anchoring load more evenly across the available tissue area, reducing peak stress while maintaining secure fixation.
3Reliability
If the implant has extensive contact with blood flow, then anchoring is more secure, but the risk of clotting increases
Solution Approach 1:
The design extracts the essential anchoring function from extensive blood-contacting surfaces. The arms are configured to provide secure anchoring through minimal necessary contact with the tissue wall, rather than requiring large surface areas that would extend into the blood flow path. This reduces the implant's exposure to blood while maintaining anchoring security.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical implant including an anchor portion including a plurality of arms adapted to engage an internal tissue wall of a body from two opposite faces, wherein the anchor portion is configured such that at least one of the arms does not have an entirely overlapping arm on the other side of the wall and an opening portion adapted to define an opening for blood flow through the internal tissue wall, when the anchor portion engages the wall.