Intraluminal Valve Prostheses with Bioactive Agents
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Venous valve insufficiency often results from natural valve damage or inefficiency, leading to discomfort and potential ulcers, with current treatments being invasive or ineffective in maintaining valve function over time.
Innovation Solution
Intraluminal valve prostheses with a graft member and bioactive agents are used to regulate fluid flow, featuring a leaflet with a base portion for anchoring and a bioactive agent to enhance functionality and prevent cellular deposition, allowing for minimally invasive implantation and improved valve operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If natural valves are used in veins, then they can function as one-way check valves for an extended time, but they eventually lose effectiveness due to vessel wall stretching and leaflet damage
Solution Approach 1:
The natural valve is divided into replaceable components - the failing valve leaflets are replaced with a prosthetic valve consisting of a graft member and support frame, while the vessel wall remains in place. This allows replacement of only the dysfunctional segment rather than the entire valve system.
Solution Approach 2:
A prosthetic valve acts as an intermediary device between the damaged natural valve structures and the vessel wall. The graft member with support frame serves as a mediator that restores valve function without requiring direct replacement of the entire natural valve system.
2Ease of operation
If compression stockings are used to treat venous valve insufficiency, then they can force vessel walls radially inward to restore valve function, but they do not provide a long-term solution for damaged valves
Solution Approach 1:
The prosthetic valve is implanted in advance to prevent further valve damage and restore function before severe complications like ulcers develop. The device is positioned beforehand to maintain valve competence over the long term, preventing the need for more aggressive treatments later.
Solution Approach 2:
The external mechanical compression from stockings is replaced with an internal mechanical prosthetic valve structure that actively maintains valve function. The support frame and graft member provide structural reinforcement from within the vessel, replacing the need for external compression forces.
3Reliability
If surgical techniques are used to bypass or eliminate damaged valves, then valve function can be restored, but the procedures are invasive and carry surgical risks
Solution Approach 1:
The dysfunctional natural valve leaflets are extracted or removed from the vessel, and a prosthetic valve is implanted in their place. This extracts only the problematic components while preserving the vessel wall and surrounding healthy tissue, avoiding more extensive surgical reconstruction.
Solution Approach 2:
The prosthetic valve design with graft member and support frame serves multiple functions: it provides structural support to the vessel wall, acts as a one-way valve to prevent retrograde flow, and integrates with the existing vessel anatomy. This multi-functional device replaces the need for multiple separate surgical procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
Medical devices with one or more bioactive agents are provided for regulating fluid flow through a body vessel. Medical devices according to the invention can comprise prosthetic valves that include a bioactive agent.