Heart Cannula Flared Tip and Ring Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cannulae for guiding blood flow into or out of the heart lack effective fixation mechanisms, leading to instability and potential tissue growth restrictions, which can impede blood flow and require complex suturing procedures.
Innovation Solution
A cannula design featuring a flared tip portion and ring members, made from resilient or rigid materials, that facilitates insertion and secure positioning within the heart chamber, minimizing tissue ingrowth and ensuring stable blood flow by using flexible or barbed surfaces and suturable fabrics for secure anchoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing cannulae are inserted into the heart chamber, then blood flow guidance is achieved, but fixation stability deteriorates leading to displacement
Solution Approach 1:
The cannula is divided into distinct functional segments: a flared tip portion for insertion, a body portion for blood flow, and a ring member for fixation. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function optimally - the flared tip penetrates tissue while the ring member provides stable anchoring against displacement forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The flared tip portion employs a curved, radially outward flaring geometry that facilitates tissue penetration and insertion. The curved surface of the flared tip allows it to navigate through the heart wall aperture more effectively, reducing insertion resistance while maintaining positional stability once implanted.
2Reliability
If existing cannulae are inserted into the heart chamber, then blood flow guidance is achieved, but tissue growth restrictions worsen leading to overgrowth
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the cannula have different surface qualities tailored to their functions. The flared tip and ring member feature surfaces that minimize tissue adhesion and overgrowth, while the blood flow channel maintains smooth walls for optimal fluid dynamics. This localized quality differentiation prevents harmful tissue overgrowth at critical interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The cannula design incorporates materials and surface characteristics that resist long-term tissue integration and overgrowth, effectively treating the implant as a temporary device that maintains blood flow guidance without encouraging permanent tissue attachment that would restrict function.
3Ease of operation
If existing cannulae are inserted into the heart chamber, then initial positioning is achieved, but long-term position stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flared tip portion is pre-configured with a geometry that facilitates easy penetration through the heart wall during insertion. The radial flaring is designed beforehand to expand during insertion, creating an initial stable position that transitions into long-term stability through the ring member's anchoring function.
Solution Approach 2:
The cannula transitions from a dynamic insertion phase to a static stable position phase. The flared tip provides dynamic flexibility during insertion, while the ring member establishes a static, stable position for long-term fixation. This dynamic-to-static transition ensures both ease of insertion and durable position stability.
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 cannula achieves stable and secure implantation, reduces tissue overgrowth, and allows for unrestricted blood flow by using a flared tip and ring members to maintain position within the heart chamber, enhancing the reliability of heart assist systems.
Implementation Method 1
The flared tip portion may include a resilient material such that, for example, at least a portion of the flared tip portion may flex toward the longitudinal axis when the elongate body travels through the aperture in the wall of the heart
Implementation Method 2
The flared tip portion may further include a barbed surface configured to contact tissue around an aperture in the wall of the chamber of the heart when the elongate body travels through the aperture
Implementation Method 3
a first ring member on said elongate body and extending around said longitudinal axis, said first ring member being spaced from said flared tip portion and being adapted for retaining said elongate body in a position relative to a wall of the chamber of the heart
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
A cannula (10) for implantation into a chamber of a heart (14) includes an elongate body (16) having a lumen (22) extending along a longitudinal axis (24), a first end (18), and a second end (20). The first and second ends (18, 20) define openings (26a, 26b) into the lumen (22) and the second end (20) includes a flat portion (32). A flared tip portion (30) extends from the flat portion (32) of the second end (20) in a direction toward the first end (18), and flares radially outward from the longitudinal axis (24) and in such direction. A ring member (36) extends around the axis (24) of the elongate body (16) and is spaced from the flared tip portion (30), and the ring member (36) is adapted for retaining the elongate body (16) in a position relative to a wall (40) of the chamber (14a). An embodiment of a flared tip portion (122) may further include a barbed surface (128) configured to contact tissue around an aperture (13) in the wall (40) of the heart (14) when the cannula (10) travels through the aperture (13).