Expandable Wall Catheter for Minimally Invasive Valve Deployment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional heart valve replacement surgeries are invasive and cause significant trauma and discomfort, requiring extensive recuperation times and posing life-threatening complications, necessitating the development of minimally invasive techniques for cardiac valve replacements.

Innovation Solution

A catheter system with an expandable wall assembly, comprising an outer sheath and two tubes, allows for the radial expansion of the expandable wall to accommodate and deploy a replacement aortic valve, enabling minimally invasive implantation by axial translation and radial expansion, facilitating the placement of a replacement aortic valve within the patient's heart.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional open surgery is used for heart valve replacement, then the valve can be effectively replaced, but the patient experiences significant trauma, discomfort, and requires extensive recuperation time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve replacement effectivenessVSAvoidpatient trauma and discomfort

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The catheter system employs a nested structure where the expandable wall assembly is contained within the outer sheath, which itself is within the catheter body. This nested configuration allows the entire valve replacement system to be delivered through a minimally invasive percutaneous approach while maintaining the full functionality of the valve replacement procedure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The expandable wall assembly transitions from a compressed delivery state within the outer sheath to an expanded functional state at the implantation site. This dynamic transformation allows the system to achieve effective valve replacement while accessing the heart through a small percutaneous opening, thereby reducing patient trauma compared to traditional open surgery

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If traditional open surgery is used for heart valve replacement, then the valve can be effectively replaced, but the procedure carries life-threatening complications and requires extensive recuperation time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve replacement effectivenessVSAvoidrecuperation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The catheter system is divided into distinct functional segments: the outer sheath for delivery, the expandable wall assembly for valve deployment, and the handle assembly for control. This segmentation allows for precise control of the valve replacement process through minimally invasive access, reducing both procedural risks and recovery time while maintaining effective valve replacement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Object-affected harmful factors

If a catheter system with movable outer sheath is used, then minimally invasive valve implantation is enabled, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient traumaVSAvoidcatheter system structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The outer sheath serves multiple functions: it protects the expandable wall assembly during delivery, provides a tracking surface for navigation, and acts as a constraint during expansion. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby managing device complexity while enabling minimally invasive access

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 catheter system enables safe and minimally invasive heart valve replacement, reducing patient trauma and recovery time while effectively implanting the replacement valve without the risks associated with traditional open surgery.

Implementation Method 1

The expandable wall is configured to radially expand

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRadial expansion: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3833302B1Apparatus for delivery of a prosthetic valve device

Publication Date: 2022.12.14 THUBRIKAR AORTIC VALVE

Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3~4

AI summary

A catheter and a method for using the catheter to implant a replacement aortic valve into a patient. The catheter includes an expandable wall, an outer sheath, a first tube operably coupled to the expandable wall, and a second tube operably coupled to the expandable wall. The catheter also includes a pusher that is fixed to the second tube, the pusher being spaced apart from the expandable wall by a distance that is sufficient to accommodate the replacement aortic valve. The outer sheath is movable relative to the expandable wall so that in one state the expandable wall is disposed within the outer sheath and in another state the expandable wall is located outside of the outer sheath. The expandable wall is configured to radially expand. The catheter also includes a handle assembly that is adjusted by a surgeon to achieve the functions of the catheter.