Endoluminal Valve Creation With Guided Tissue Flap Cutting

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Venous reflux, a condition where the valves in the vessel fail to function properly, leading to blood pooling in the legs and vein distention, necessitates new systems and methods for effective treatment.

Innovation Solution

A device with an elongated member and a guide member at the distal end, featuring a blunt tip for engagement against the vessel wall, and a tissue cutting device with a sharp tip for precise tissue manipulation, including a lumen for fluid delivery and a tapered configuration, is used to create a flap in the vessel wall.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a sharp cutting device is used to cut tissue, then cutting precision is improved, but the risk of uncontrolled tissue damage increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecutting precisionVSAvoidtissue damage

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A guide member with a blunt distal tip is introduced as an intermediary between the sharp cutting device and the vessel wall. The guide member engages against the vessel wall to provide a stable reference surface, allowing the sharp cutting device to cut tissue precisely while the blunt tip prevents uncontrolled penetration and damage to deeper tissue structures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the cutting device penetrates deeper into the vessel wall to create a proper flap, then valve creation effectiveness is improved, but the risk of vessel wall damage increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve creation effectivenessVSAvoidvessel wall damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The guide member with its blunt distal tip engages against the vessel wall before the cutting action occurs. This preliminary engagement establishes a controlled entry point and reference surface, enabling the cutting device to penetrate to the required depth for effective flap creation while the guide member's blunt tip prevents excessive penetration and vessel wall damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Manufacturing precision

If the guide member applies pressure to the vessel wall to provide tension, then cutting accuracy is improved, but the force required increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecutting accuracyVSAvoidpressure required

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The guide member features a blunt distal tip with a curved surface that conforms to the vessel wall. This curvature allows the guide member to distribute the applied pressure over a larger surface area, providing sufficient tension for accurate cutting while reducing the peak force required compared to a sharp or flat tip design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentUS20250345143A1Systems and methods for endoluminal valve creation

Publication Date: 2025.11.13 THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIV

AI summary

A device for manipulating tissue at a vessel includes an elongated member having a proximal end and a distal end, a guide member at the distal end of the elongated member, the guide member having a blunt distal tip for engagement against an interior wall of the vessel, and a tissue cutting device at the distal end of the elongated member, wherein the tissue cutting device has a sharp tip that is proximal to the blunt distal tip of the guide member.