Heart Assist Balloon Inversion for Directional Blood Displacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing circulatory assistance devices do not provide efficient mechanical support and directional blood displacement within the heart, lacking the efficiency of natural cardiac motion.
Innovation Solution
A minimally invasive heart assist device with a partially inverted balloon forming a dual-walled receptacle, where the inner and outer wall portions move relative to each other, creating a concave shape to displace blood efficiently and directionally by varying the internal volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a balloon device is used to displace blood volume in the heart, then circulatory assistance is provided, but the efficiency of natural cardiac motion is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts a portion of the balloon to create a dual-walled receptacle structure. This inversion allows the formation of an inner wall and outer wall that work together to create a more efficient pumping mechanism, mimicking the natural cardiac motion by creating a cup-shaped receptacle that can effectively displace blood volume in a directional manner.
Solution Approach 2:
The balloon is divided into different portions (inverted portion and non-inverted portion) that perform different functions. The inverted portion forms the receptacle walls while the non-inverted portion provides structural support and connection points, allowing each segment to optimize its contribution to the overall pumping efficiency.
2Ease of operation
If a minimally invasive device is used for circulatory assistance, then implantation is simplified, but effective directional blood displacement is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates dynamic elements including the movable inner wall within the receptacle that can change position to vary the internal volume. This dynamic structure allows the device to maintain minimally invasive characteristics while achieving effective directional blood displacement through controlled volume changes that mimic natural heart pumping action.
3Productivity
If a dual-walled receptacle structure is created by inverting the balloon, then directional blood displacement is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the formation of the dual-walled receptacle structure with the single balloon element by inverting a portion of it. This combining approach creates the complex dual-walled structure needed for directional blood displacement while avoiding the need for multiple separate components, thus managing device complexity through integration rather than assembly of multiple parts.
Data Source
AI summary
A device (2) for providing circulatory assistance is provided and comprises a balloon (4) comprising a membrane defining a cavity having an internal volume (Vc), wherein the balloon comprises a proximal portion (4a) comprising a proximal end and a distal portion (4b) comprising a distal end. The device (2) further comprises a first catheter, affixed to the distal end of the balloon (4) at a first fixation point (P1) and a second catheter (8), affixed to the proximal end of the balloon at a second fixation point (P2). The second catheter (8) is configured for axial movement with respect to the first catheter or guide wire (6) between a first position in which the first and second fixation points (P1, P2) are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction by a first distance (Dx), which is variable to bring about inversion of the balloon.