Cardiovascular Flow Conditioners for Hemodynamic Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Implantable cardiovascular devices often disrupt natural blood flow patterns in the heart, leading to inefficiencies and increased mechanical workloads on the heart, particularly in failing hearts where maintaining momentum and kinetic energy is crucial.
Innovation Solution
The development of cardiovascular implant devices featuring an expandable annular frame with integrated flow conditioners that modify hemodynamic characteristics, such as vorticity and helicity, to align with natural flow patterns, thereby minimizing disruptions and enhancing cardiac efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional implantable cardiovascular devices are used, then the device can be implanted to replace or repair valve function, but the device disrupts natural blood flow patterns and increases mechanical workload on the heart
Solution Approach 1:
The flow conditioner modifies hemodynamic parameters including vorticity, helicity, and flow direction to align with natural blood flow patterns. By changing these flow parameters, the device maintains kinetic energy while providing valve replacement function
Solution Approach 2:
The device converts the disruptive effect of implantable structures into beneficial flow modification. The flow conditioner uses the space created by the implant to generate controlled flow patterns that enhance rather than diminish cardiac efficiency
2Reliability
If conventional implantable cardiovascular devices are used, then the device can be implanted to provide valve function, but the device increases mechanical workload on the heart
Solution Approach 1:
By modifying flow parameters such as vorticity and helicity, the flow conditioner reduces the mechanical workload required by the heart to pump blood through the implant site, while still providing necessary valve replacement function
3Loss of energy
If flow conditioners are added to modify hemodynamic characteristics, then natural flow patterns are aligned and kinetic energy is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow conditioner is integrated with the implantable device structure, merging the flow modification function with the structural support function. This combination achieves kinetic energy maintenance while limiting the increase in overall 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
These devices maintain kinetic energy and reduce cardiac work by aligning blood flow with natural patterns, improving hemodynamic efficiency and reducing the strain on the heart, especially in conditions where heart failure is a concern.
Implementation Method 1
The flow conditioner is positioned to modify a hemodynamic characteristic of a flow of blood through or out of the expandable annular frame
Implementation Method 2
The flow conditioner is positioned to modify a hemodynamic characteristic of a flow of blood through or out of the expandable annular frame
Data Source
AI summary
A cardiovascular implant device includes an expandable annular frame and a flow conditioner. The expandable annular frame is formed of a plurality of struts and is configured to conform to an interior shape of a blood vessel or a chamber of a heart when expanded inside the blood vessel or the chamber of the heart. The flow conditioner is connected to the plurality of struts of the expandable annular frame. The flow conditioner is positioned to modify a hemodynamic characteristic of a flow of blood through or out of the expandable annular frame.