Self-Expanding Mitral Valve Anchor for Precise Tissue Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current minimally invasive cardiac valve replacement technologies face challenges in effectively placing and sizing prostheses within the mitral valve due to its unique anatomy, and existing devices are difficult to deploy correctly and retrieve if incorrectly placed.
Innovation Solution
A prosthetic mitral valve design featuring an anchor assembly with a ventricular anchor, atrial anchor, and central portion that self-expands to conform to the native valve orifice, utilizing a strut frame with diamond-shaped cells and v-shaped connectors to secure replacement leaflets, allowing for precise alignment and compression of cardiac tissue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If current minimally invasive cardiac valve replacement devices are used, then the procedure is less traumatic than open-heart surgery, but the devices are difficult to place correctly within the native valve and difficult to retrieve if initially placed incorrectly
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery system incorporates a dynamic mechanism that allows the prosthesis to be deployed in a controlled, stepwise manner. The self-expanding frame is initially constrained within the delivery catheter, then progressively released to expand against the native valve. This dynamic deployment enables correct placement verification before final release, and maintains the ability to retrieve or reposition the device if placement is incorrect, thereby resolving the contradiction between minimal trauma and ease of operation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If current cardiac valve prostheses are delivered via minimally invasive device, then the procedure avoids open-heart surgery, but the prostheses are difficult to match in size to the native valve
Solution Approach 1:
The prosthesis design incorporates an adjustable sizing mechanism where the self-expanding frame can be pre-sized or post-sized to match the native valve dimensions. The frame's radial expandability allows for precise size matching after delivery, enabling the operator to adjust the final dimensions to perfectly match the native valve anatomy. This parameter adjustability resolves the contradiction by maintaining minimal invasiveness while achieving precise size matching.
3Reliability
If a self-expanding anchor assembly is used to constrain native valve orifice, then precise placement and secure anchoring is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor assembly is segmented into multiple independent self-expanding frame components that can be deployed sequentially. Each segment independently anchors to the native valve tissue, distributing the anchoring function across multiple points. This segmentation achieves secure anchoring through cumulative effect while keeping each individual component relatively simple in structure, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A prosthetic mitral valve includes an anchor assembly, a strut frame, and a plurality of replacement leaflets secured to the annular strut frame. The anchor assembly includes a ventricular anchor, an atrial anchor, and a central portion therebetween. The ventricular anchor and the atrial anchor are configured to flare radially outwards relative to the central portion. The annular strut frame is disposed radially within the anchor assembly and is attached to the anchor assembly. The central portion is configured to align with a native valve orifice and the ventricular anchor and the atrial anchor are configured to compress native cardiac tissue therebetween.