Blood Pump Mounting Cuff Epicardial Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing implanted blood pump systems face challenges in securely attaching to the epicardium of the heart, leading to potential myocardial trauma and misalignment of the inlet port, which can result in inefficient blood flow and increased stress on attachment points.
Innovation Solution
A blood pump system with a mounting cuff that encircles the outer perimeter of the pump housing, providing a mechanical advantage and secure attachment to the epicardium without gaps, along with an inlet cannula that traverses the heart wall for fluid connection, ensuring proper alignment and minimizing stress on attachment points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the blood pump is attached directly to the epicardium without a mounting cuff, then the attachment structure is simpler, but the attachment is less secure and causes more myocardial trauma
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting cuff serves as an intermediary component between the blood pump housing and the epicardium. It distributes the attachment forces over a larger area of the heart wall, reducing myocardial trauma while providing secure attachment. The cuff acts as a mediator that translates the mechanical connection requirements into a biocompatible interface with the heart tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting cuff is implemented as a flexible ring-shaped structure that can conform to the curved surface of the epicardium. This flexible shell design allows the cuff to adapt to the heart's geometry while maintaining secure attachment, distributing stresses evenly, and minimizing trauma to the myocardial tissue through its compliant nature.
2Strength
If the mounting cuff is positioned to encircle the outer perimeter of the pump housing, then the attachment provides greater mechanical advantage and reduces stress on attachment points, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting cuff is designed as a ring-shaped structure that encircles the outer perimeter of the pump housing, utilizing the curved geometry to distribute attachment forces more effectively. This circular configuration provides mechanical advantage by spreading the load around the entire perimeter rather than concentrating it at discrete points, thereby reducing stress on any single attachment point while maintaining overall attachment strength.
3Volume of moving object
If the inlet port is not properly aligned with the epicardium, then the pump housing can be more compact, but blood flow efficiency decreases and stress on attachment points increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting cuff provides localized adjustment capability at the inlet port region, allowing proper alignment with the epicardium while maintaining a compact overall pump housing design. The cuff's positioning features enable precise orientation of the inlet port to match the epicardial surface, optimizing blood flow efficiency without requiring the entire pump housing to be larger or less compact.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of implanting a blood pump system in a patient requiring treatment includes creating an opening in an epicardium of a heart to access an interior chamber of the heart and implanting a blood pump such that an inlet port of a pump housing is in fluid communication with the interior chamber of the heart through the opening. The pump housing has a first external surface adjacent to the inlet port such that it is substantially adjacent to the epicardium of the heart when implanted. In some embodiments, a first external surface contacts the epicardium when implanted. The blood pump is then secured to the exterior wall of the heart. In some embodiments, the blood pump is secured using a mounting cuff.