Coaxial Mitral Annulus Implant for Low-Profile Valve Reshaping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mitral valve implants face issues with unintended contact between the implant and the cardiac wall due to their size, reducing their efficacy in restoring the mitral valve to its native configuration.
Innovation Solution
A valve reshaping implant incorporating coaxially arranged cinching and anchoring components, controlled independently by a pair of coaxially disposed drivers, allowing for reduced delivery catheter profile and customized implant restructuring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional annuloplasty implants are used, then the mitral valve can be repaired, but the implant size causes unintended contact with the cardiac wall reducing efficacy
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is divided into discrete struts (first struts, second struts, third struts, fourth struts) that can be independently positioned and adjusted. This segmentation allows the implant to conform to the mitral annulus geometry while maintaining a compact profile that avoids contact with the cardiac wall, resolving the contradiction between implant efficacy and size.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant incorporates adjustable struts with mounting features that allow dynamic repositioning during deployment. The struts can be adjusted to optimize the implant configuration for each patient's specific anatomy, enabling the implant to achieve the desired valve repair effect with minimal overall size and reduced cardiac wall contact.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple independent drivers are used for cinching and anchoring components, then customized implant restructuring is achieved, but delivery catheter profile increases
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery catheter employs nested drive shafts where the second drive shaft (for anchoring) is positioned within the first drive shaft (for cinching). This nesting arrangement allows both independent drivers to control different aspects of implant deployment (cinching and anchoring) while maintaining a compact, low-profile catheter structure that avoids increasing the delivery catheter profile.
Solution Approach 2:
The cinching and anchoring functions are integrated into a unified delivery system with shared drive mechanisms and coordinated control. The mounting features on the struts accommodate both cinching and anchoring operations, allowing customized implant restructuring to be achieved through merged control mechanisms rather than requiring separate independent drivers that would increase catheter profile.
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
The implant achieves less-invasive valve restructuring with a low-profile delivery system, minimizing cardiac wall contact and enhancing procedural efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the threaded shaft includes a shaft bore extending therethrough... the collar configured to axially translate along the threaded shaft... in response to rotation of the threaded shaft about the first axis
Implementation Method 2
an anchor of the pair of anchors includes a proximal drive coupler and a distal helical anchor portion
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
An implant includes a pair of anchors and a pair of anchor housing assemblies, wherein an anchor housing assembly includes an anchoring component configured to translate the anchor proximally-distally through the anchor housing assembly and a cinch component configured to control a space between the pair of anchor housing assemblies.