Bowed Vascular Access Port Base for Stable Subcutaneous Implantation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vascular access ports face challenges in providing stable and long-term access to blood vessels, often leading to mobility issues and potential complications such as aneurysm, vessel stenosis, and bleeding due to inadequate attachment to the vessel wall.
Innovation Solution
The development of a subcutaneously implantable vascular access port with a bowed base surface that conforms to the vessel contour, secured via sutures through multiple layers of the vessel, and featuring ingrowth-inducing features to promote tissue integration and secure attachment, allowing for repeated access with minimal trauma and resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a vascular access port is implanted subcutaneously with a bowed base surface that conforms to the vessel contour and secured via sutures through multiple layers of the vessel, then the stability and reliability of vascular access is improved, but the complexity of the implantation procedure and device structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The base surface of the vascular access port is designed with a bowed curvature that conforms to the natural contour of the blood vessel. This curved geometry allows the port to adapt to the cylindrical shape of the vessel, distributing mechanical stresses more evenly and preventing displacement during patient movement or vascular pulsation, thereby improving long-term stability and reliability of the access site.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment mechanism is divided into multiple functional components: the bowed base surface for conformal contact, multiple suture holes positioned at different locations and angles, and ingrowth-inducing features. This segmentation allows each element to perform its specific function optimally while collectively providing robust, multi-layered securement that addresses the reliability-complexity tradeoff.
2Reliability
If sutures are passed through multiple layers of the vessel wall to secure the port, then the secure attachment and reduced mobility are improved, but the risk of vessel damage and bleeding during implantation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The suture holes are pre-formed in the base surface at optimal positions and orientations before implantation. This preliminary preparation allows the surgeon to rapidly pass sutures through the vessel wall layers without time-consuming manual drilling or puncture creation, minimizing the duration of vessel exposure and reducing the window for potential damage or bleeding complications.
Solution Approach 2:
The base surface features localized ingrowth-inducing features at specific regions where sutures penetrate the vessel wall. These localized modifications promote targeted tissue integration and healing at the suture sites, accelerating the sealing process and reducing the duration of potential bleeding pathways while maintaining overall secure attachment.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If ingrowth-inducing features are incorporated into the base surface, then tissue integration and long-term stability are improved, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The base surface incorporates porous or mesh-like ingrowth-inducing features that provide a large surface area and interconnected void structure. This porous architecture facilitates capillary action and cellular infiltration, promoting rapid and robust tissue integration. The features can be manufactured using standard porous material techniques or additive manufacturing, balancing enhanced biological performance with feasible production methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The base surface may utilize composite material structures combining biocompatible polymers with bioactive components or layered constructions. This allows integration of ingrowth-promoting properties while maintaining mechanical strength and sterilizability. The composite approach enables tailoring of surface properties for optimal tissue interaction without requiring complete redesign of the entire device structure.
4Productivity
If the port is designed for repeated access with minimal trauma, then the number of access procedures and patient convenience are improved, but the requirements for precision in port positioning and orientation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The vascular access port is designed with a standardized configuration that accommodates various needle sizes and angles of approach. The bowed base surface and strategically positioned suture holes provide multiple stable attachment orientations, allowing the port to function reliably regardless of precise implantation angle. This universality enables repeated access procedures with consistent results while reducing the stringency of positioning requirements during surgery.
Data Source
AI summary
A vascular access port can include a base that can be attached to a vessel and a body extending away from the base in at least a vertical direction. A height of the body in the vertical direction can be sufficiently small such that the entire port can be implanted subcutaneously in a patient. The port can include a guidance passageway that is at least partially defined by the body and can direct an access device into a vessel of a patient when the port is attached to the vessel. In some arrangements, the guidance passageway includes a funnel region that decreases in size from a proximal end of the guidance passageway toward a distal end of the guidance passageway that defines an opening through the bottom surface of the port.