Cylindrical Crimping Device for Collapsible Valves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current crimping tools for collapsible valves, such as heart valves, often require a single-stage mechanism that simultaneously reduces the entire stent frame diameter, including anchoring systems, leading to uneven stress distribution and potential deformation, as they fail to selectively act on specific portions of the stent during the crimping process.
Innovation Solution
A three-stage crimping device with independent cylindrical units, each equipped with a diaphragm rotation mechanism and a tangentially fixed handling screw, allowing precise control over the atrial, annular, and ventricular portions of the stent, enabling selective diameter reduction without affecting the anchoring system, thus reducing mutual stresses and enabling more homogeneous crimping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single-stage crimping mechanism is used to reduce the entire stent frame diameter simultaneously, then the crimping process is simplified and faster, but uneven stress distribution and potential deformation occur, especially affecting the anchoring system
Solution Approach 1:
The crimping device is divided into multiple independent cylindrical crimping units, each capable of independently crimping a specific portion of the stent frame. This segmentation allows different regions (such as the annular portion and atrial/ventricular portions) to be crimped separately, enabling uniform stress distribution and precise control over the crimping process for each segment.
2Device complexity
If the entire stent frame including anchoring system is crimped simultaneously, then the structure is simplified, but the anchoring system experiences excessive stress and deformation due to its higher resistance to radial forces
Solution Approach 1:
The stent frame is divided into multiple crimping zones, with independent crimping units for each zone. The anchoring system can be crimped separately from the main stent body, allowing controlled stress application that preserves anchoring integrity while achieving the required diameter reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
Each crimping unit is designed with specific characteristics suited for its target region. The crimping jaws and actuators can be configured to apply appropriate forces for different stent portions, with special consideration for the anchoring system's higher resistance to radial forces, ensuring reliable crimping without deformation.
3Reliability
If only the main structural stent is crimped while leaving the marginal anchoring system protruding, then the anchoring system integrity is maintained, but the device volume increases and loading becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The crimping process is segmented into stages, with different crimping units acting on different portions of the stent. This allows the main stent body to be crimped to a reduced diameter while the anchoring system can be selectively crimped or left protruding, optimizing both compactness and functional integrity.
4Manufacturing precision
If multiple independent crimping units are used to act on different stent portions, then precise control and stress distribution are improved, but the device complexity and volume increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple independent crimping units are merged into a single integrated device with a common cylindrical body. The units share common structural elements and can be actuated in a coordinated manner, reducing the overall device complexity while maintaining the precision benefits of independent crimping control.
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 device achieves precise and safe crimping by allowing independent control of different stent portions, reducing stresses on the stent frame and enabling easier loading into a delivery system, while maintaining the anchoring system's integrity, thus improving the crimping process and reducing the overall device volume.
Implementation Method 1
each unit comprises an actuator for activating said mechanism, characterized by the fact that said actuator is a handling screw that is tangentially fixed to the external surface of the cylindrical crimping unit
Implementation Method 2
a diaphragm rotation crimping mechanism that includes crimping jaws
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
Crimping device (1) for reducing the diameter of collapsible valves, said device (1) including at least two independent cylindrical crimping units (2, 3, 4) that are each adapted to crimp a different specific part of a valve, independently from the other crimping unit(s), each of said unit (2, 3, 4) comprising a diaphragm rotation crimping mechanism that includes crimping jaws, and wherein each unit (2, 3, 4) comprises an actuator for activating said mechanism, characterized by the fact that said actuator is a handling screw (51, 61, 71) that is tangentially fixed to the external surface of the cylindrical crimping unit (2, 3, 4).