Intrinsically Conductive Polymer Coatings for Heart Valve Prostheses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current heart valve sewing prostheses made from non-biologic materials induce inflammatory responses and tissue overgrowth, leading to complications such as stenosis, regurgitation, and challenging removal procedures due to chronic fibrotic scar formation and pannus growth.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an intrinsically conductive polymer layer on the surface of heart valve sewing prostheses, including annuloplasty rings, bands, and sewing rings, to reduce inflammatory responses and promote biocompatibility, with polypyrrole or its derivatives being used as the polymer, which is doped with dialkyl-napthalene sulfonate to achieve a surface resistivity of 10-1000 ohms per square.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If non-biologic materials (polyester fabric) are used to fabricate heart valve sewing prostheses, then structural support and durability are achieved, but inflammatory responses and tissue overgrowth occur leading to stenosis and regurgitation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining polyester fabric with intrinsically conductive polymer coatings. The base polyester fabric provides structural support and durability, while the conductive polymer coating (such as polypyrrole or polythiophene) reduces inflammatory responses and prevents tissue overgrowth. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by integrating the beneficial properties of both materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the surface properties of the polyester fabric by coating it with intrinsically conductive polymers. This parameter change modifies the surface characteristics to be more biocompatible, reducing the inflammatory response while maintaining the structural integrity of the original material.
2Stability of the object's composition
If non-resorbable materials are implanted to support valve tissue, then structural stability is maintained, but chronic fibrotic scar formation and pannus growth occur complicating removal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials consisting of non-resorbable polyester fabric combined with biocompatible conductive polymer coatings. The polyester component maintains structural stability long-term, while the conductive polymer surface prevents chronic fibrotic reactions and pannus formation, thereby reducing complications associated with removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful permanent presence of non-resorbable materials into a benefit by coating them with intrinsically conductive polymers that actively prevent fibrotic scar formation and pannus growth. The conductive properties of the coating create a surface that resists tissue overgrowth, turning the permanent implant into a more benign presence.
Data Source
AI summary
A heart valve sewing prosthesis including an intrinsically conductive polymer. The invention includes annuloplasty rings and bands, and sewing rings or cuffs for prosthetic heart valves. Some annuloplasty rings and sewing rings include fabric that is coated with an intrinsically conductive polymer. The coating can be formed over individual filaments or fibers, or on the fabric surface as a surface layer. One intrinsically conductive polymer is polypyrrole. The intrinsically conductive polymer can be doped to facilitate the intrinsic conductivity. Some devices have a polypyrrole surface layer doped with dialkyl-napthalene sulfonate. The intrinsically conductive polymer can be deposited on a fabric using in-situ polymerization of monomeric or oligomeric species, together with a dopant. Animal studies using implanted annuloplasty rings having an intrinsically conductive polymer coating have demonstrated a substantial reduction in pannus formation and inflammatory response.