Mitral Valve Movement Assist System for Heart Failure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for heart failure, such as total artificial hearts and left ventricle assist devices, require major open heart surgery and are invasive, costly, and have limited durability, making them unsuitable for long-term use and minimally invasive procedures.
Innovation Solution
A system that enhances left ventricular pump function by using a movement assisting unit to support the mitral valve's movement along the long axis of the left ventricle, utilizing the Coronary Sinus and Great Cardiac Vein to augment the natural pumping action without replacing it, and can be implanted using catheter-based technology, allowing for minimally invasive procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If total artificial heart or left ventricle assist devices are used to support heart function, then pump function is improved, but device complexity and surgical invasiveness increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the essential function needed to assist heart pumping - moving the mitral valve plane along the long axis - rather than replacing the entire heart or ventricle. This is achieved by implanting a relatively simple device in the coronary sinus that mechanically assists the natural mitral valve movement, eliminating the need for complex artificial hearts or large pump devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses an intermediary approach by placing a device in the coronary sinus that indirectly assists ventricular pumping through mitral valve movement, rather than directly replacing or mechanically assisting the ventricle. This intermediary position allows for a simpler device design that still achieves the desired pump support function.
2Reliability
If left ventricle assist devices are implanted to support heart function, then pump function is improved, but surgical invasiveness and operation time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential assist function from complex surgical procedures by using a percutaneous delivery system to implant a relatively simple device in the coronary sinus, avoiding the need for major open heart surgery while still achieving pump support through mitral valve plane movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces complex mechanical pump systems with a simpler mechanical linkage system that utilizes the natural coronary sinus anatomy and mitral valve mechanics. The device uses a push-rod mechanism connected to the mitral valve annulus, leveraging existing cardiac structures rather than imposing complex mechanical pumps.
3Productivity
If left ventricle assist devices are used to assist heart pumping, then cardiac output is improved, but device size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the heart assist function into a localized mechanism at the mitral valve level rather than using a large centralized pump. The device is divided into components including a coronary sinus implant, push-rod mechanism, and mitral valve annulus connection, allowing for a much smaller overall device weight while maintaining effective pump support.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the dimension of intervention from large-scale ventricular replacement or assistance to a more compact mitral valve plane movement mechanism. By operating at the mitral valve level and utilizing the long axis movement dimension, the device achieves effective pump support with significantly reduced size and weight.
4Reliability
If left ventricle assist devices are implanted to support heart function, then pump function is improved, but treatment cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential assist function from expensive complex devices by using a simplified mechanism in the coronary sinus. This approach eliminates the need for costly artificial hearts or large pump systems, using instead a relatively simple mechanical linkage that can be manufactured and implanted at lower cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adopts a strategy of using a simpler, potentially disposable or replaceable device in the coronary sinus rather than investing in expensive long-term implantable pump systems. The relatively simple construction allows for more cost-effective manufacturing and potential replacement if needed.
Data Source
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Figure 1b
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AI summary
A system for enhancing ventricular pump function of a heart of a patient comprising a movement assisting unit for controllably assisted movement of a mitral valve synchronized with a cardiac cycle of said heart.