Bio-degradable Prosthetic Heart Valve Leaflets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cardiac valve insufficiency leads to surgical interventions due to sub-optimal coaptation of valve leaflets, resulting in blood regurgitation, preload/afterload mismatch, and potential left ventricle failure, complicating post-operative recovery.
Innovation Solution
A prosthetic heart valve with movable leaflet members and devices that prevent complete closure to allow temporary regurgitation, made from bio-degradable materials that degrade over time to restore normal valve function.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a prosthetic valve is designed to completely prevent blood regurgitation, then valve function is improved, but the heart experiences sudden preload/afterload mismatch leading to ventricle failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by providing devices that prevent coaptation surfaces from contacting before the heart can adapt to the prosthetic valve. These devices are in place during the critical post-operative period to allow gradual adaptation, then are removed to enable complete valve function. This resolves the contradiction by temporarily sacrificing complete valve function to prevent harmful preload/afterload mismatch during the adaptation phase.
2Adaptability or versatility
If coaptation surfaces are prevented from contacting, then regurgitation is enabled to facilitate heart adaptation, but valve closure effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by temporarily preventing coaptation surface contact during a specific adaptation period, then removing the preventing devices to restore complete valve closure. The devices are designed to be removed after a predetermined time period, creating a periodic pattern of restricted then full valve function. This resolves the contradiction by applying the coaptation prevention only during the period when heart adaptation is needed.
3Ease of operation
If devices are used to prevent coaptation surface contact, then gradual heart recovery is facilitated, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies discarding and recovering by using temporary devices that are discarded after serving their adaptation purpose. The coaptation-preventing devices are designed to be removed after a predetermined time period, at which point they have fulfilled their function of facilitating heart adaptation. This resolves the contradiction by using simple temporary devices rather than complex permanent structures.
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 solution reduces the negative impact of valve replacement on the heart by mimicking the diseased valve's behavior, minimizing preload and afterload changes, and facilitating gradual recovery by allowing controlled regurgitation and eventual full contact between leaflet surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
made from bio-degradable materials that degrade over time
Implementation Method 2
made from bio-degradable materials that degrade over time
Data Source
AI summary
A prosthetic heart valve includes a prosthetic valve annulus and at least one prosthetic valve leaflet member including at least one coaptation surface configured for cooperating with at least one corresponding coaptation surface of the prosthetic heart valve. At least one valve leaflet member is displaceable by blood flow between a closed position and an open position to produce, correspondingly, a contact and a separation of cooperating coaptation surfaces. In the open position the separation of the cooperating coaptation surfaces enables the blood flow through the orifice in a first direction, and in the closed position the contact of the cooperating coaptation surfaces prevents the blood flow through the orifice in a second direction, opposite to the first direction. The prosthetic heart valve includes at least one device configured for preventing at least in part the contact between cooperating coaptation surfaces, so that a blood regurgitation in the second direction is enabled, wherein the at least one device is configured for ceasing its action after a predetermined amount of time.