Cardiac Shunt Delivery with Stagnation-Assisted Contrast Visualization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical procedures face challenges in accurately visualizing and securing cardiac shunts due to rapid blood flow, which dilutes contrast solutions, and there is a need for effective methods to reduce elevated pressures in heart chambers like the left atrium and pulmonary artery.
Innovation Solution
A delivery system is provided that includes a stagnation device to impede blood flow, allowing concentrated contrast visualization and secure implant placement, using expandable shunts with anchoring arms that are deployed between the coronary sinus and left atrium, facilitated by a catheter system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If contrast solution is injected to visualize the cardiac shunt, then the shunt can be seen, but the rapid blood flow dilutes the contrast solution and reduces visualization quality
Solution Approach 1:
The stagnation device is deployed before contrast injection to create a stagnation zone that prevents blood flow from washing away the contrast solution. This preliminary action counteracts the diluting effect of blood flow, allowing the contrast to remain concentrated and providing clear visualization of the cardiac shunt.
Solution Approach 2:
The stagnation device acts as an intermediary element between the contrast solution and the rapidly flowing blood. It creates a protected zone where the contrast can accumulate and maintain its concentration, effectively mediating between the need for visualization and the harmful effect of blood flow dilution.
2Measurement precision
If the delivery system includes additional components like stagnation device, then visualization and positioning improve, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stagnation device is integrated with the delivery catheter system, allowing both the shunt and stagnation device to be delivered through the same access pathway. This merging of functions reduces the need for separate devices and procedures, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity while still improving positioning accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery system is designed to perform multiple functions: delivering the shunt, deploying the stagnation device, and enabling visualization. By making the delivery system multi-functional, the patent avoids needing separate specialized devices for each function, thus limiting the increase in device complexity.
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
Enables precise implant positioning and visualization by maintaining contrast concentration, reducing blood flow interference, and effectively managing pressures in heart chambers.
Implementation Method 1
a stagnation device to impede blood flow, allowing concentrated contrast visualization
Data Source
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AI summary
A method comprises delivering a medical implant and a delivery device to a tissue wall within a heart of a patient. The delivery device can be attached to the medical implant. The method further involves maneuvering the delivery device to place at least a portion of the medical implant at a desired position with respect to the tissue wall and delivering an expandable stagnation device proximate to the medical implant. The expandable stagnation device is configured to at least partially inhibit blood flow. The method further involves injecting a contrast solution between at least a portion of the medical implant and at least a portion of the expandable stagnation device, collapsing the expandable stagnation device, and detaching the delivery device from the medical implant.