Guidewire-Aided Blood Pump Insertion Across the Aortic Valve
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a minimally invasive, temporary mechanical circulatory support system that can be used during high-risk percutaneous coronary interventions to reduce complexity and risk, particularly for patients with severe coronary artery disease and impaired ventricular function.
Innovation Solution
A minimally invasive, percutaneous mechanical circulatory support system with a guidewire aid is provided, featuring a low-profile axial rotary blood pump mounted on a catheter, which includes a guidewire guide tube and funnel to facilitate insertion, and a sealed motor design to avoid purging, allowing placement across the aortic valve via a single femoral arterial access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical circulatory support system is used during high-risk PCI procedures, then hemodynamic support and patient safety are improved, but device complexity and procedural difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guidewire aid is nested within the catheter shaft, with the guide tube contained inside the catheter and the funnel positioned at the distal end. This nested configuration allows the entire assembly to be delivered through a single femoral arterial access point while maintaining all necessary functional components for guidewire insertion and manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The guidewire aid serves as an intermediary device that facilitates the interaction between the guidewire and the pump device. The guide tube and funnel create a controlled pathway that mediates the complex task of threading the guidewire through the pump housing and impeller region, making the procedure more manageable and reliable.
2Ease of operation
If a guidewire aid with guide tube and funnel is used to facilitate guidewire insertion, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guidewire aid is pre-positioned within the catheter shaft before the procedure begins. The guide tube is already configured to extend through the pump housing, and the funnel is pre-positioned at the distal end to receive the guidewire. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex real-time manipulation during the procedure, improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The guidewire aid is segmented into distinct functional components: the guide tube for directing the guidewire through the pump housing, the funnel for receiving and guiding the guidewire into the tube, and the tab for external manipulation. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together as an integrated system.
3Ease of operation
If a low-profile axial rotary blood pump is used, then ease of insertion through femoral artery is improved, but pumping capacity may be limited
Solution Approach 1:
The pump design utilizes parameter changes to achieve high pumping capacity within a low-profile configuration. The axial rotary impeller generates high flow rates (up to 4.0 liters/minute) by optimizing rotational speed and blade geometry, while the compact housing dimensions enable insertion through the femoral artery. The sealed motor design with magnetic coupling maintains these performance parameters without requiring additional space for purging systems.
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 system provides effective left ventricular support during high-risk PCI procedures, minimizing vascular damage and complications, with up to 4.0 liters/minute flow at 60 mmHg, reducing the need for open surgical procedures and ensuring safe hemodynamic support.
Implementation Method 1
an impeller within the housing
Implementation Method 2
A funnel at a distal end may aid with entry of the guidewire into the guide tube
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a mechanical circulatory support system for transcatheter delivery to the heart, having a removable guidewire aid to assist with inserting the guidewire along a path that avoids a rotating impeller. The system may comprise a catheter shaft and a circulatory support device carried by the shaft. The device may comprise a tubular housing, an impeller and the guidewire aid. The guidewire aid may include a removable guidewire guide tube. The guide tube may enter a first guidewire port of the tubular housing, exit the tubular housing via a second guidewire port on a side wall of the tubular housing on a distal side of the impeller, enter a third guidewire port on a proximal side of the impeller, and extend proximally through the catheter shaft.