Cardiac Stimulation Guide Wire for Minimally Invasive Valve Replacement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current minimally invasive heart valve replacement techniques require extracorporeal circulation, are complex, costly, and carry risks such as vascular complications, tamponade, and infection due to the use of rigid electro-systolic stimulation probes, which are difficult to implement and require additional access to the heart.
Innovation Solution
A cardiac stimulation system using a guide wire connected to an external cardiac stimulator and a transcutaneous electrode or conductive sleeve around the introducer or delivery catheter, allowing for bipolar electrical stimulation with lower impedance and reduced risk of complications, eliminating the need for additional subcutaneous electrodes and probes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rigid electro-systolic stimulation probes are used for cardiac stunning, then cardiac stunning can be achieved, but the risk of complications (vascular complications, tamponade, infection) increases and the procedure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the stimulation electrodes from the complex rigid probe system and separates them into two simple components: a transcutaneous electrode on the skin surface and a guide wire with electrode inside the artery. This extraction eliminates the need for invasive probe insertion into the heart while maintaining cardiac stunning effectiveness through bipolar electrical stimulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide wire serves multiple functions: it acts as both a catheter for guiding the valve delivery system and as an electrode for cardiac stimulation. The introducer sheath also serves dual purposes as both the access pathway for the catheter and as a support structure for the transcutaneous electrode, reducing the need for separate dedicated stimulation devices.
2Reliability
If additional subcutaneous electrodes and probes are used for cardiac stimulation, then cardiac stunning can be achieved, but the device complexity and procedural difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the catheter system and cardiac stimulation system into a single integrated approach. The guide wire that is already necessary for valve delivery is also used as the internal electrode, and the introducer sheath supports the external electrode, eliminating the need for separate stimulation probes and reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide wire performs dual functions as both a catheter for mechanical guidance and as an electrode for electrical stimulation. The introducer sheath similarly serves both as the access pathway and as the support structure for the external electrode, reducing the total number of components needed.
3Reliability
If rigid electro-systolic stimulation probes are used, then cardiac stunning can be achieved, but the ease of operation decreases and the procedure becomes more difficult to implement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by placing electrodes only where needed: a transcutaneous electrode on the skin surface over the heart and a guide wire electrode inside the artery. This localized approach eliminates the need for complex rigid probes while achieving effective bipolar stimulation with simpler, more easily manipulated components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces rigid probes with flexible components: a soft transcutaneous electrode on the skin surface and a flexible guide wire that can be easily navigated through the arterial system. These flexible components are much easier to manipulate and position than rigid electro-systolic probes, significantly improving ease of operation.
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
This approach simplifies cardiac stunning, reduces the risk of complications, and lowers the intensity and duration of the procedure, enabling more efficient and safer heart valve replacement with reduced vascular risks and lower costs.
Implementation Method 1
a sleeve adapted to be fitted around the introduction sheath, the sleeve being made of electrically conductive material on at least one part of the outer periphery thereof... the guide wire comprising a metal part also acting as a connection to the other electrode of an external cardiac stimulator
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an assembly for replacing a heart valve or to a coronary angioplasty assembly, comprising an introduction sheath (13) for an introducer (1) or for a delivery catheter (1′), which is smaller compared to an introducer, intended to be introduced into an artery of a human body. The invention basically comprises: either integrating the metal support of an electrode of the cardiac stimulator into a part to be fitted around the introduction sheath that is introduced into the artery of a patient or into a guide wire that becomes a bipolar electrode support; or connecting the cathode of an external cardiac stimulator to the guide wire of an artificial valve and the anode to a transcutaneous electrode in contact with the skin of the patient.