Self-Expanding Left Atrium Liner for Stroke Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients with atrial fibrillation face a high risk of stroke due to blood clot formation in the left atrium, particularly in the left atrial appendage, where anticoagulant medications like warfarin pose adverse side effects and require vigilant adherence.
Innovation Solution
An implantable liner device with a self-expandable, cap-like structure made of biocompatible materials such as mesh or tissue, designed to cover the interior surface of the left atrium, featuring openings for pulmonary vein ostiums and the mitral valve, which can be delivered percutaneously and coated with anti-thrombotic materials to prevent clot formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If anticoagulant medications like warfarin are administered to prevent blood clot formation, then stroke risk is reduced, but adverse side effects such as hemorrhaging occur and patient adherence is required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the protective function from pharmacological therapy and relocates it to a mechanical device. The liner device is implanted directly in the left atrium to prevent clot formation through mechanical means, eliminating the need for systemic anticoagulant medications and their associated hemorrhaging risks
Solution Approach 2:
The liner device acts as an intermediary between the blood and the left atrium wall. It creates a physical barrier that prevents blood stagnation and clot formation without requiring chemical intervention, thereby avoiding the harmful effects of anticoagulant medications
2Reliability
If a liner device is implanted to cover the interior surface of the left atrium, then blood clot formation is prevented, but device complexity and surgical procedure complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The liner device employs a flexible, thin-film structure that can conform to the interior surface of the left atrium. This simple geometric form factor reduces device complexity while maintaining effectiveness in preventing blood clot formation through continuous coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The liner device includes strategically positioned openings for pulmonary vein ostiums and the mitral valve, segmenting the continuous surface to maintain physiological function. This segmentation approach prevents clots while preserving normal blood flow patterns
3Productivity
If the liner device includes openings for pulmonary vein ostiums and mitral valve, then normal blood flow is maintained, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The liner device features locally differentiated properties with strategically positioned openings at specific locations for pulmonary vein ostiums and the mitral valve. This local quality approach maintains blood flow productivity while the openings are positioned to minimize precision requirements through anatomical landmark alignment
Data Source
AI summary
An implantable liner device for preventing formation of blood clots in a left atrium of a patient's heart. The liner device includes a liner body configured, in some embodiments, to cover a portion of an interior surface of the left atrium, the liner body forming a first opening sized for placement about pulmonary vein ostiums of the left atrium and a second opening for fluid alignment with a mitral valve of the left atrium. The liner body can self-expandable from a collapsed state appropriate for percutaneous delivery to the atrium to an expanded state, with the expanded state having a shape appropriate for covering the portion of the interior surface of the left atrium. The liner body can have a cap-like shape, and can be formed of mesh, fabric, braided material, and biological material such as tissue.