Heart Valve Leaflet Clamp for Artificial Chordae Repair
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing treatments for mitral valve disease, such as invasive surgical interventions and valve replacements, often fail to adequately address damaged chordae tendineae, leading to incomplete mitigation of mitral regurgitation and requiring complex surgeries with high risks.
Innovation Solution
The development of medical devices and systems for clamping a heart valve leaflet, including a clamp with spring-biased arms that can transition between open and closed configurations, allowing for the secure attachment of artificial chordae tendineae, facilitated by a spreader mechanism and minimally invasive delivery via a catheter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If invasive surgical intervention is used to repair mitral valve disease, then the surgeon can directly view and repair the valve, but the procedure involves high risk and complex surgery with chest opening
Solution Approach 1:
A catheter is introduced as an intermediary device to deliver the clamp and artificial chordae tendineae to the mitral valve through a transseptal approach. The catheter navigates through the venous system and crosses the interatrial septum to reach the left atrium, eliminating the need for direct surgical access to the heart while maintaining the ability to perform the repair procedure
Solution Approach 2:
The traditional mechanical surgical approach requiring chest opening and direct heart access is replaced with a minimally invasive delivery system. The clamp and artificial chordae are delivered through a catheter-based system that uses fluid dynamics and remote manipulation rather than direct mechanical surgical intervention
2Reliability
If traditional surgical techniques are used to reduce mitral annulus diameter, then leaflet coaptation can be improved, but the procedure is complex and does not address damaged chordae tendineae
Solution Approach 1:
The mitral valve repair is segmented into distinct functional components: the clamp that attaches to the leaflet, the artificial chordae tendineae that replace damaged chordal structures, and the anchoring system that secures the reconstruction. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and delivered through a minimally invasive approach
Solution Approach 2:
The artificial chordae tendineae serve as an intermediary structure that replaces the function of damaged native chordae. This intermediary solution directly addresses the chordal pathology while simplifying the overall repair approach compared to complex annuloplasty techniques
3Object-affected harmful factors
If minimally invasive approaches are used, then surgical risk is reduced, but the ability to adequately address damaged chordae tendineae is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp is designed with self-gripping features including barbs and friction surfaces that automatically engage with the leaflet tissue upon deployment. The spring-loaded mechanism provides self-adjusting clamping force that maintains secure attachment without requiring additional surgical intervention or adjustment procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp design incorporates variable geometric parameters including adjustable arm spacing, configurable barb orientation, and modifiable gripping surface characteristics. These parameter variations allow optimization of the clamping mechanism for different leaflet thicknesses and tissue types while maintaining minimally invasive delivery
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
Enables durable repair of heart valve leaflets by providing a stable connection point for artificial chordae tendineae, reducing regurgitation and minimizing invasive surgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
A spring portion may be coupled to the plurality of arms at a second end. The spring portion may be configured to bias the arms to the closed configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates generally to the field of medical devices for clamping a leaflet of a heart valve. In particular, the present disclosure relates to medical devices, systems, and methods for delivering artificial chordae tendineae in a patient. In an embodiment, a system may include a clamp having a plurality of arms at a first end. The plurality of arms may have a closed configuration in which the arms are oriented toward each other, and an open configuration in which the arms are oriented away from each other. A spring portion may be coupled to the plurality of arms at a second end that is configured to bias the arms to the closed configuration. The arms of the clamp may be configured to fixedly engage with a leaflet of the heart valve. The second end of the clamp may be configured to couple to an artificial chordae tendineae.