Covered Prosthetic Heart Valve With Floating Fabric Layer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Prosthetic heart valves can cause damage to native heart valve tissues due to relative motion and friction during heart contractions, leading to potential damage and complications.
Innovation Solution
A prosthetic heart valve with a covering comprising a resilient, stretchable fabric that includes texturized strands woven in specific patterns to provide cushioning and protect native tissues, reducing friction and damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the prosthetic heart valve is made larger than the native valve annulus to prevent dislodgement, then retention stability is improved, but friction and damage to native tissues worsens
Solution Approach 1:
A covering layer made of resilient, stretchable fabric with texturized strands is introduced as an intermediary between the prosthetic heart valve frame and the native heart valve tissues. This covering reduces direct friction and mechanical damage to the native annulus and leaflets while maintaining the valve's retention stability through proper anchoring mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The covering is constructed from a resilient, stretchable fabric that can deform and conform to the native valve structures during heart contractions. This flexibility allows the covering to accommodate physiological movements while protecting the underlying native tissues from friction and mechanical stress.
2Manufacturing precision
If the prosthetic heart valve is expanded within a support structure to retain it at a selected position, then positioning precision is improved, but relative motion and tissue damage worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient covering acts as a mediator between the rigid support structure and the soft native tissues, absorbing relative motions and reducing friction. The covering's elastic properties allow it to deform with tissue movement while maintaining the prosthetic valve's positioned stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The covering provides preemptive cushioning to the native tissues before direct contact with the rigid prosthetic components occurs. This protective layer prevents friction and mechanical damage during the implant's interaction with native valve structures during heart contractions.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a covering is added to reduce friction and protect native tissues, then tissue protection is improved, but device complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The covering is implemented as a relatively thin, flexible fabric layer that can be draped over the prosthetic valve frame. This simple geometric form factor minimizes the increase in device complexity while providing comprehensive tissue protection across the entire valve surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The covering utilizes composite material construction with texturized strands woven into a resilient fabric structure. This material design provides the necessary mechanical properties (elasticity, friction reduction, durability) in a single integrated component, avoiding the need for multiple separate parts and simplifying the overall device architecture.
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 covering reduces friction and damage to native tissues by providing a cushioning effect, minimizing relative motion and potential complications.
Implementation Method 1
The covering can comprise or be formed of a sealing member or cover member, which can be disposed around some or all of the frame to form some or all of the covering. The texturized strands (e.g., yarns, etc.) extend along the longitudinal axis of the frame from the first woven portion to the second woven portion and form a floating portion
Data Source
AI summary
A prosthetic heart valve includes a frame. The frame has a plurality of strut members, and is radially collapsible and expandable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. The frame has an inflow end and an outflow end, and defines a longitudinal axis. A leaflet structure is situated at least partially within the frame. A fabric covering is disposed around the frame, and the fabric covering has a non-woven floating portion extending circumferentially around the frame.