Intracavitary Cardiac Augmentation via Atrioventricular Plane Actuation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional heart pumps for treating heart dysfunction suffer from drawbacks such as blood damage, thrombosis, high power requirements, and interference with the heart's physiological function, necessitating a need for improved devices that leverage the correlation between atrioventricular plane displacement, ejection fraction, and stroke volume without these limitations.

Innovation Solution

A physiological augmentation device that augments the displacement of the atrioventricular plane using an actuator, such as magnets or rotary devices, to enhance heart function by moving along an axis perpendicular to the plane, coupled to the heart via a fibrous ring, and can be deployed via a catheter to improve both ventricular and atrial filling and emptying.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If conventional heart pumps are used to treat heart dysfunction, then stroke volume and cardiac output can be improved, but blood damage and thrombosis occur due to mechanical shear and stress

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestroke volumeVSAvoidblood damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces conventional mechanical heart pumps with a magnetic actuation system. Magnets positioned outside the heart cavity generate magnetic fields that indirectly move the atrioventricular plane without direct mechanical contact with blood, eliminating shear and stress that cause blood damage and thrombosis while still achieving improved stroke volume and cardiac output

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If conventional heart pumps operate continuously to maintain cardiac output, then adequate blood circulation is achieved, but massive power needs and energy consumption occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecardiac outputVSAvoidpower requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The magnetic actuation system operates periodically, synchronized with the natural cardiac cycle, rather than continuously. The magnets are activated during specific phases of the cardiac cycle to augment atrioventricular plane displacement, providing cardiac output support only when needed and dramatically reducing overall power requirements compared to continuous pump operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Power

If conventional heart pumps are implanted with drivelines and pump pockets, then adequate power can be supplied, but infection at driveline and pump pocket occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower supplyVSAvoidinfection

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the power supply and control systems from the implanted device, positioning magnets outside the body cavity. This eliminates the need for invasive drivelines and pump pockets that connect external power sources to internal components, thereby removing the primary pathways for infection while maintaining adequate power supply through external magnetic field generation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Productivity

If the atrioventricular plane displacement is augmented by 1-7mm, then stroke volume increases by up to 60%, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestroke volumeVSAvoidactuator configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The magnetic actuation system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it augments atrioventricular plane displacement to increase stroke volume, synchronizes with the cardiac cycle to optimize pumping efficiency, and can be adjusted to work with different heart sizes and conditions. This multi-functionality achieves up to 60% stroke volume increase while keeping the device configuration relatively simple and adaptable

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

The device increases stroke volume by up to 60% and cardiac output by 30% without continuous operation, working in concert with the heart's natural pumping action, reducing the need for long-term anticoagulation and minimizing energy consumption.

Implementation Method 1

the actuator comprises a plurality of magnets. In one embodiment, the plurality of magnets comprises a first magnet construct and a second opposing magnet construct configured to convert magnetic energy into linear motion along the axis

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMagnetic energy to linear motion conversion: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 2

the actuator comprises a rotary device configured to convert rotary motion into linear motion along the axis

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRotary to linear motion conversion: Cam

Data Source

PatentUS20250319300A1Intracavitary, physiological augmentation device and method

Publication Date: 2025.10.16 YALE UNIVERSITY

AI summary

A physiological augmentation device for improving heart function includes an actuator configured to augment displacement of an atrioventricular plane of a heart. A method for improving heart function and a transcatheter method for improving heart function are also disclosed.