Heart Support System Using Pneumatic Pericardial Sheath
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mechanical ventricular assist devices for cardiac insufficiency require complex surgical procedures and often lead to complications such as strokes, hemorrhages, and septicemia due to blood contact with implanted systems, necessitating a more minimally invasive and biocompatible solution.
Innovation Solution
A heart support system featuring a self-expanding sheath made of wire mesh or lattice structure, which can be custom-made to fit the heart, with a pneumatic connection port for hydraulic communication, allowing for minimally invasive implantation and reduced mechanical stress on the heart tissue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional mechanical ventricular assist devices are implanted, then cardiac pumping function can be supported, but complex surgical procedures are required and complications such as strokes, hemorrhages, and septicemia occur due to blood contact with implanted systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a pericardial space as an intermediary zone between the external pump and the heart. The pump is positioned in the pericardial space rather than directly contacting blood vessels, and fluid communication is established through a valve system. This intermediary arrangement reduces direct blood contact with the implanted pump, thereby decreasing complications such as strokes, hemorrhages, and septicemia while maintaining cardiac support function.
2Reliability
If traditional mechanical ventricular assist devices are implanted, then cardiac pumping function can be supported, but elaborate surgical procedures are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the pericardial space, which is a naturally occurring anatomical structure, as the implantation site for the pump. The pericardium itself provides the containment environment, eliminating the need for complex surgical creation of implantation chambers. Additionally, the pump system connects to the circulatory system through existing pericardial pathways and valve mechanisms, reducing the need for elaborate vascular anastomoses and complex surgical procedures.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the sheath is made with permanently attached crossing points, then stability is increased, but flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different attachment characteristics to different regions of the sheath structure. Some crossing points of the wire mesh are permanently attached to provide stability in critical areas, while other crossing points remain flexible or loosely attached to allow bending and adaptation. This local differentiation of attachment quality enables the sheath to maintain structural integrity where needed while remaining flexible enough for implantation and adaptation to heart movements.
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 enables minimally invasive implantation, reduces complications associated with blood contact, and provides adjustable stability and flexibility to support cardiac function effectively, improving patient outcomes and reducing hospitalization rates.
Implementation Method 1
the mesh is made of a shape memory alloy
Data Source
AI summary
A heart support system featuring a constraint sized to fit about at least a portion of an adult human heart in a living body, an expandable chamber disposed within the constraint so as to apply pressure against the heart when expanded and a connector system including a pneumatic connection port in hydraulic communication with the expandable chamber. The heart support system can include a supply unit with: a source of pressurized fluid and a pneumatic supply line extending from the pressurized fluid source. The pneumatic supply line is connectable to the pneumatic connection port.