Cardiac Strain Modulation via Under-Constrained Membrane
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current direct cardiac compression devices (DCCDs) fail to proactively modulate the strain pattern during heart contraction, often inducing aberrant or inverted curvature, which can lead to detrimental remodeling and apoptosis, rather than promoting recovery from heart injuries or conditions like congestive heart failure.
Innovation Solution
A DCCD that actively promotes a physiological strain pattern during systole by using a membrane or mesh that undergoes shape change from diastole to systole and back, maintaining normal curvatures, and includes a pressurized fluid system to assist the heart without inverting or greatly perturbing its curvature, thereby guiding myocardial growth and remodeling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current direct cardiac compression devices are used to provide mechanical assistance to the heart, then cardiac support is provided, but aberrant or inverted curvature is induced during contraction leading to detrimental remodeling and apoptosis
Solution Approach 1:
The device inverts the conventional approach by using an under-constrained membrane structure that allows the heart to naturally define the curvature, rather than imposing a predetermined rigid geometry. This reversal of the design paradigm enables the heart to maintain its natural curvature while receiving mechanical support, thereby avoiding the aberrant curvature induction problem of traditional rigid devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The device changes the structural parameter from rigid to compliant by using an under-constrained membrane. This parameter change allows the device to adapt to the heart's natural geometry and deformation patterns during contraction, preventing the imposition of aberrant curvature while maintaining effective cardiac support.
2Strength
If a rigid outer shell is used to provide structural support, then device strength is improved, but the ability to maintain physiological strain pattern is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The device replaces rigid shells with flexible under-constrained membranes that can adapt to the heart's natural geometry and deformation. These flexible films maintain sufficient structural strength while allowing the heart to define the strain pattern, thereby achieving both device strength and physiological strain pattern accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The device transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic compliant membrane system that adapts in real-time to the heart's contraction and relaxation cycles. This dynamic behavior enables the device to maintain physiological strain patterns throughout the cardiac cycle while providing continuous structural support.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the device is anchored to the valve plane, then device stability is improved, but the complexity of implantation is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The device extracts the anchoring function from complex surgical procedures by utilizing the natural valve plane anatomy as the attachment site. This simplifies implantation by leveraging existing anatomical landmarks and structures, reducing the need for complex anchoring mechanisms while maintaining device stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A direct cardiac assist device which may aid in ventricular recovery. The device proactively modulates cardiac strain pattern to produce a contraction strain pattern that induces beneficial growth and remodeling of the myocardium or prevents or reduces apoptosis of the myocytes. The device may include an outer shell. membrane, or mesh and an inner membrane. The space between the outer member and the membrane may be filled with fluid that is pressurized during contraction. The device prescribes a beneficial strain pattern during heart contraction. This strain pattern does not invert the curvatures or grossly alter the curvatures of the heart and may assist in myocyte regrowth and healing of the failing heart.