Flexible Commissure Frame With Segmented Struts for Valve Flexibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing prosthetic heart valve frames compromise flexibility due to a large number of axial struts, which are necessary for structural stability but hinder functional performance.
Innovation Solution
A prosthetic heart valve frame design with strategically placed axial struts and angled struts, allowing for a 1:1 ratio of axial frame members and leaflet attachment members, and incorporating window frame portions to enhance flexibility without compromising mechanical integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a large number of axial struts are used in the frame, then structural stability is improved, but flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is segmented into distinct functional zones: axial struts are concentrated at the commissures for stability, while the inter-commissural regions are segmented into multiple rows of angled struts that provide flexibility. This spatial segmentation allows different portions of the frame to have different mechanical properties optimized for their specific functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame exhibits local quality by having axial struts primarily at the commissures where structural support is critical, while the regions between commissures have fewer axial struts and more angled struts to enable flexibility. This non-uniform distribution of structural elements creates local variations in mechanical properties that resolve the contradiction between stability and flexibility.
2Strength
If a large number of axial struts are used in the frame, then structural stability is improved, but valve flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The frame structure is segmented into commissural regions with axial struts for strength and inter-commissural regions with angled struts for flexibility. This segmentation allows the valve to maintain structural integrity at critical points while remaining flexible in regions that require movement and deformation during implantation and cardiac cycling.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the frame have different structural qualities: commissural areas have high axial strut density for strength, while inter-commissural areas have lower axial strut density and higher angled strut density for flexibility. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing strength where needed and flexibility where required.
3Adaptability or versatility
If axial struts are reduced for flexibility, then valve flexibility is improved, but structural stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is segmented such that axial struts are concentrated at commissures to maintain stability, while inter-commissural regions use angled struts arranged in multiple rows to provide flexibility. This segmentation ensures that reducing axial struts in inter-commissural areas does not compromise overall structural stability because axial support is preserved at the commissures.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame has local quality with axial struts positioned at commissures for stability and angled struts in inter-commissural regions for flexibility. This localized structural differentiation allows the valve to be flexible where needed without sacrificing structural stability at critical support points.
4Adaptability or versatility
If axial struts are reduced for flexibility, then valve flexibility is improved, but mechanical integrity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The frame structure is segmented into commissural regions with axial struts for mechanical integrity and inter-commissural regions with angled struts for flexibility. This segmentation allows the valve to achieve high flexibility in the inter-commissural regions without compromising mechanical integrity, as the axial struts at the commissures maintain the overall structural framework.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions have different structural qualities: axial struts at commissures provide mechanical integrity, while angled struts in inter-commissural regions provide flexibility. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction by ensuring mechanical integrity is maintained where structural support is critical while allowing flexibility where it is needed for valve function and implantation.
Data Source
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AI summary
Prosthetic devices and frames for implantation at a cardiac valve annulus are provided that include an annular frame (having an inflow end and an outflow end) and a plurality of axial frame members that bridge two circumferentially extending rows of angled struts. The axial frame members can include a plurality of axially extending leaflet attachment members and a plurality of axial struts in a 1:1 ratio. Along each of the two rows, the frame can have at least three angled struts between adjacent axial frame members.