Surgical Access Port with Expanding Sheath for Pericardial Therapy

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a need for a minimally invasive approach to accessing the pericardial space and the heart for delivering cardiac therapies, especially for patients with small vasculature or congenital heart disease, while enabling direct visualization to improve procedural ease and safety.

Innovation Solution

A surgical access port comprising an outer sheath with a tapered distal end, an inner sleeve, and a cannulated core, where the distal opening of the outer sheath expands when the inner sleeve is inserted, and the cannulated core forms angled working channels to facilitate access and visualization within the thoracic cavity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If percutaneous or open surgical methods are used to deliver cardiac therapies, then the heart can be accessed for therapy delivery, but the approach is not minimally invasive and causes more tissue damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetissue damageVSAvoidaccess to pericardial space

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The surgical access port employs a nested structure where the inner sleeve is inserted within the outer sheath, and the cannulated core is inserted within the inner sleeve. This nested configuration allows multiple components to be contained within a single access site, enabling minimally invasive percutaneous access to the pericardial space while maintaining the capability to deliver cardiac therapies through the concentric channels

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a single access site is used for minimally invasive access, then tissue damage is reduced, but direct visualization and instrument insertion become more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetissue damageVSAvoiddirect visualization

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The surgical access port is designed as a multi-functional device where the outer sheath provides structural support and sealing, the inner sleeve creates a stable access channel, and the cannulated core enables both visualization through its lumen and instrument delivery through its working channels. This universal design allows a single access site to simultaneously support direct visualization and multiple instrument insertions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Stability of the object's composition

If the outer sheath distal opening remains closed, then the structure maintains its shape, but access to the pericardial space is blocked

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidaccess to pericardial space

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The distal opening of the outer sheath is designed to be dynamic rather than static. When the inner sleeve is inserted into the outer sheath, the inner sleeve acts as a wedge that forces the distal opening of the outer sheath to expand outward. This dynamic transformation allows the opening to transition from a closed state that maintains structural integrity to an expanded state that provides access to the pericardial space

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS20250160885A1Access tool for delivering cardiac therapies to the pericardial space

Publication Date: 2025.05.22 CHILDRENS NAT MEDICAL CENT

AI summary

A surgical access port including an outer sheath having a tapered distal end; an inner sleeve fitting inside the outer sheath; and a cannulated core fitting inside the inner sleeve; wherein a distal opening of the outer sheath is configured to expand when the inner sleeve is inserted into the outer sheath, and wherein the cannulated core forms a first working channel and a second working channel between a first end of the cannulated core and an opposing second end of the cannulated core.