Heart Valve Suturing Device with Catheter Delivery

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional suturing methods for heart valves are often invasive, leading to complications such as infection, delayed recovery, and increased pain, and are not suitable for valves with structural defects that cause regurgitation, which can reduce cardiac performance.

Innovation Solution

A suturing device with an elongate body, needle, and arm that allows for precise suture placement and retrieval, enabling minimally invasive procedures for repairing heart valves by securing sutures between leaflets to address defects and improve valve closure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional suturing methods are used to repair heart valves, then the valve can be closed properly, but the procedure becomes invasive requiring chest opening and heart-lung machine support

Engineering Contradiction:

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The suturing device is nested within a delivery catheter that can be introduced through a peripheral vessel. The needle and suture are contained within the catheter structure, allowing the entire suturing apparatus to be delivered through a minimally invasive access route rather than requiring open chest surgery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

A delivery catheter serves as an intermediary structure that facilitates the introduction of the suturing device through peripheral vessels. The catheter acts as a guide and protective sheath, enabling the needle and suture to reach the heart valve through a minimally invasive path without direct surgical exposure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If conventional suturing methods are used to repair heart valves, then the valve can be closed properly, but the patient experiences increased risk of infection and delayed recovery

Engineering Contradiction:

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The delivery catheter serves as an intermediary that enables access to the heart valve through peripheral vessels rather than requiring open chest surgery. This minimally invasive approach reduces exposure to infectious agents and eliminates the need for large incisions, thereby reducing infection risk and accelerating recovery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces the mechanical open-chest surgical approach with a catheter-based delivery system that can be introduced through peripheral vessels. This substitution of the delivery mechanism eliminates the need for thoracotomy and heart-lung machine support, reducing procedural trauma and associated complications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of operation

If a suturing device is delivered through a catheter, then the procedure becomes minimally invasive, but the device must navigate complex vascular anatomy to reach the target valve

Engineering Contradiction:

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The delivery catheter is designed as a multi-functional device that combines navigation, protection, and deployment functions. It can navigate through complex vascular anatomy, protect the suturing device during transit, and facilitate precise positioning at the target valve, thereby managing delivery complexity through integrated design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The delivery catheter acts as an intermediary structure that simplifies the complexity of delivering the suturing device through complex vascular anatomy. It provides a controlled environment for needle deployment and suture release, managing the intricacies of minimally invasive delivery through its structured design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Manufacturing precision

If the needle is advanced through tissue to retrieve suture, then precise suture placement is achieved, but the device structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The needle and suture retrieval functions are merged into a single integrated structure. The needle serves dual purposes: penetrating the tissue to create a suture path and simultaneously retrieving the suture from the delivery catheter. This merging of functions achieves precise suture placement while minimizing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The needle is designed to automatically retrieve the suture from the delivery catheter as it advances through the tissue. The suture is released from the catheter and captured by the needle in a self-service manner, eliminating the need for separate retrieval mechanisms and simplifying the overall device structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS11166712B2Suturing devices and methods for suturing an anatomic valve

Publication Date: 2021.11.09

AI summary

A device for suturing an anatomic valve can comprise an elongate body, a suture catch mechanism and a suture clasp arm. The suture catch mechanism can be operatively coupled to the elongate body for movement between a retracted position and an advanced position. The suture clasp arm can be attached to the elongate body for movement between a retracted position and an extended position. The suture clasp arm can comprise a suture clasp configured to releasably retain a suture portion. In some embodiments, the suture clasp is positioned on the suture clasp arm such that the suture catch mechanism retrieves the suture portion from the suture clasp arm while the arm is at least partially retracted. In some embodiments, the suture clasp arm can be closed about a tissue portion without damaging the tissue portion.