Helical Attaching Device for Secure Conduit Implantation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for inserting apicoaortic conduits in cardiac procedures are technically challenging, especially in off-pump procedures, due to the difficulty in securely attaching conduits to active cardiac and vascular tissue, leading to complications such as blood loss and valve failures.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising an outer tube with a guide aperture and an attaching device that advances helically through the tissue wall, secured by a ring and nut mechanism, allowing for secure engagement with the tissue wall and minimization of blood loss, enabling off-pump procedures without cardiopulmonary bypass and avoiding the conduction system and native coronary arteries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional suture-based methods are used to secure conduits to active cardiac tissue, then the conduit can be attached to the tissue wall, but the procedure becomes technically difficult and unreliable with increased risk of blood loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional suture-based mechanical attachment system with a specialized attaching device that features a distal attachment portion designed to securely engage with the tissue wall. This device eliminates the need for complex suture threading and tying in active cardiac tissue, providing a more reliable and easier-to-operate attachment mechanism that reduces surgical difficulty and improves conduit fixation reliability.
2Reliability
If cardiopulmonary bypass is used during AAC insertion, then the heart can be arrested for secure conduit placement, but the procedure requires global cardiac ischemia and increased surgical complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The attaching device is designed to be self-retaining and self-securing within the tissue wall without requiring external support systems like cardiopulmonary bypass. The device's structure allows it to maintain its own position and secure the conduit through its inherent design features, eliminating the need for heart arrest and global cardiac ischemia while maintaining reliable conduit placement.
3Manufacturing precision
If the conduit is inserted through the ventricular apex into active tissue, then the conduit can be positioned correctly, but blood loss occurs and valve failures may result
Solution Approach 1:
The attaching device is pre-configured with its distal attachment portion designed to engage the tissue wall before the conduit is fully inserted. This preliminary engagement creates a secure anchor point that prevents mispositioning and reduces blood loss by establishing proper conduit placement early in the insertion process, thereby preventing subsequent valve failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The attaching device serves as an intermediary component between the conduit and the tissue wall, providing a specialized interface that secures the conduit while minimizing trauma to the active cardiac tissue. This intermediary structure reduces blood loss and prevents valve failures by distributing forces and ensuring stable conduit positioning without direct damage to the ventricular apex.
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 system simplifies conduit insertion, reduces the need for cardiopulmonary bypass and global cardiac ischemia, enhances surgical safety, and reduces the likelihood of valved conduit failure by providing a secure and fluid-tight seal, making off-pump procedures more feasible and effective.
Implementation Method 1
an attaching device extending from a distal end of the outer tube. The attaching device is configured for advancing along a helical path at least partially through the tissue wall
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of the present invention provide a conduit device including an attaching device configured for defining a helical pathway through a tissue wall and complementary ring in cooperation for securing the device within an aperture defined in the tissue wall. Some embodiments of the present invention further provide a system for implanting a conduit device in a tissue wall. More specifically, some embodiments provide a system including a coring device for defining an aperture in a tissue by removing and retaining a tissue core and securely implanting a conduit device therein so as to provide fluid communication between a first and second surface of the tissue wall via the conduit device.