Cardiac Atrial Retractor Ring for Minimally Invasive Valve Exposure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical practices face challenges in accessing and repairing or replacing heart valves due to the difficulty of navigating within the thoracic cavity and the heart's central position, which increases surgical time and risks for patients.
Innovation Solution
A cardiac atrial retractor ring that can be flexed between a compressed and expanded position, allowing for easier exposure of heart valves by retracting the atrium, utilizing a design with annular segments, flexing members, and traction points to securely hold and expand the atrial tissue, potentially made from memory metal or elastic plastic materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional surgical approaches are used to access heart valves, then the surgeon can perform valve repair or replacement, but the surgical time increases and patient risks increase due to difficult access within the thoracic cavity and heart
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible retractor ring made of elastic material that can be compressed to fit through a minimally invasive access point and then expanded within the heart to provide stable exposure of the valve. This flexible structure allows easy insertion while maintaining reliable retraction force during surgery, reducing both access difficulty and surgical time.
2Ease of operation
If the atrium is retracted to expose the heart valve, then the workspace becomes more accessible for valve procedures, but the atrial tissue must be securely held without causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The retractor ring features locally optimized properties with varying cross-sectional geometries along its circumference. Certain segments have enhanced flexibility or compliance to conform to specific atrial tissue characteristics, allowing secure tissue engagement in high-stress areas while maintaining gentler contact in more vulnerable regions, thus providing excellent exposure without uniform tissue damage risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The retractor ring is designed as a dynamic structure that can adapt its shape and retraction force in response to tissue properties and surgical conditions. The elastic material allows the ring to deform slightly under tissue pressure, maintaining constant contact force without creating stress concentration points that could damage the atrium, while still providing stable workspace exposure.
3Ease of manufacture
If a retractor ring is inserted through a minimally invasive access point, then the surgical approach is simplified and recovery is faster, but the ring must be compressed to a small size for insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The retractor ring is divided into multiple discrete segments or struts connected by joints, allowing the structure to be compressed into a compact configuration for minimally invasive insertion. Once inside the heart, the segments can be deployed to form a stable circular structure. This segmentation enables simple insertion through small access points while maintaining the structural integrity needed for effective retraction.
Solution Approach 2:
The retractor ring segments are designed to nest within each other or collapse into a compact bundle during insertion, similar to nested dolls. This nested configuration minimizes the insertion profile, allowing the device to pass through small surgical access points. Upon deployment, the segments unfold or expand to form the functional retraction ring, simplifying the insertion process while maintaining structural complexity only when needed.
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
This solution reduces the time patients are on cardiac bypass and anesthesia, minimizing risks and stress on surgical staff by providing a more accessible workspace for valve procedures.
Implementation Method 1
A cardiac atrial retractor ring operable to be flexed between a compressed position having a first circumference and an expanded position having a second circumference
Implementation Method 2
an entirety of the cardiac atrial retractor ring can be formed from a continuous length of a memory metal wire
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are various embodiments for an atrial retractor designed to expose the valves of the heart. The device is made in the shape of an interrupted ring with inset legs to reach into the atria. Segments of the ring, legs, and feet may be made of an elastic material to provide force for retraction of tissue to allow the workspace to be accessible for any surgical procedure to the valves.