Prosthetic Heart Valve Leaflet Stress Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing collapsible/expandable prosthetic heart valves face challenges in managing mechanical stresses on the leaflet tissue, particularly in the leaflet attachment regions, which can affect the performance and longevity of the valve.

Innovation Solution

The prosthetic heart valve design incorporates a stent with commissure attachment features, a cuff, swatches, and leaflets, where the leaflets have two attachment regions coupled to swatches, and buffering elements are placed along the belly line of the leaflets to distribute and reduce stress.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If leaflets are directly attached to commissure attachment features, then the valve structure is simple, but mechanical stresses concentrate on the leaflet attachment regions reducing longevity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve structureVSAvoidleaflet attachment durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces swatches as intermediary elements between the leaflets and commissure attachment features. These swatches distribute mechanical stresses across a larger area and reduce stress concentration at the attachment regions, thereby improving leaflet attachment durability without significantly complicating the overall valve structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the leaflet attachment system into multiple components: leaflets, swatches, and commissure attachment features. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, with swatches specifically designed to manage stress distribution, thus improving reliability while maintaining structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If buffering elements are added to reduce stress on leaflets, then leaflet durability improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveleaflet durabilityVSAvoidvalve component count

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the buffering function into the existing swatch structure. The swatches serve dual purposes: they act as attachment intermediaries and simultaneously function as buffering elements that distribute and reduce mechanical stresses on the leaflets during valve operation, thereby improving durability without proportionally increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Stress or pressure

If swatches are used to distribute stress, then stress concentration is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestress distributionVSAvoidvalve assembly

Core Design Contradiction:

Stress or pressureVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the physical parameters of the swatches (size, shape, material properties) to achieve effective stress distribution. By carefully selecting swatch dimensions and material characteristics, the design achieves stress reduction while maintaining compatibility with standard manufacturing processes for prosthetic heart valves.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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

This design effectively reduces mechanical stresses on the leaflet material, enhancing the valve's performance and longevity by allowing stress reduction, redistribution, and dampening during valve operation.

Implementation Method 1

buffering elements independent of the plurality of leaflets, and being disposed along the belly line of each of the plurality of leaflets... effectively reduces mechanical stresses on the leaflet material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectStress relaxation: Stress Relaxation

Implementation Method 2

allowing stress reduction, redistribution, and dampening during valve operation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Implementation Method 3

a stent having a plurality of commissure attachment features... a plurality of swatches, each of the plurality of swatches being coupled to each of the plurality of commissure attachment features... redistribute stresses

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectStress redistribution:

Implementation Method 4

each of the plurality leaflets having two leaflet attachment regions, the leaflet attachment regions being coupled to a respective one of the plurality of swatches

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical bonding: Mechanical Fastener

Data Source

PatentUS20250186199A1Methods for Reducing Leaflet Stress

Publication Date: 2025.06.12 ST JUDE MEDICAL CARDILOGY DIV INC

AI summary

In some embodiments, a prosthetic heart valve includes a stent having a plurality of commissure attachment features, each of the plurality of commissure attachment features having an arch shape formed by a single continuous strut, a cuff coupled to the stent, a plurality of swatches, each of the plurality of swatches being coupled to each of the plurality of commissure attachment features, and a plurality of leaflets, the cuff and the plurality of leaflets forming a valve assembly, each of the plurality leaflets having two leaflet attachment regions, the leaflet attachment regions being coupled to a respective one of the plurality of swatches.