Mitral Valve Wire Frame Anchoring Hooks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current prosthetic heart valves face challenges in securely implanting a replacement mitral valve due to the thinner and smoother anatomy of the mitral valve annulus, making it difficult to anchor and secure the device, unlike the aortic valve, which has a more pronounced annulus for easier replacement.
Innovation Solution
A heart valve assembly with a wire frame and leaflet assembly design, featuring an anterior and posterior atrium annulus section with commissure sections that transition into legs and tails, providing a secure anchoring mechanism and improved coaptation between leaflets, allowing for faster opening and closing, and a compact profile for minimally invasive delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a percutaneous delivery method is used for mitral valve replacement, then the invasiveness of the procedure is reduced, but the device cannot be securely anchored due to the thinner and smoother mitral valve annulus
Solution Approach 1:
The valve device is divided into multiple components: a delivery catheter for percutaneous access, a self-expanding frame with anchoring elements, and leaflet structures. The frame includes distal and proximal anchoring zones with hooks that can engage with the mitral valve annulus tissue, allowing secure fixation while maintaining minimally invasive delivery through the catheter system
Solution Approach 2:
The frame is designed with self-expanding properties using shape memory alloy or elastic materials that allow the device to automatically expand to its functional configuration upon deployment from the catheter. The anchoring elements automatically engage with the annulus tissue through elastic deformation and mechanical interlocking, providing secure fixation without requiring additional anchoring procedures
2Adaptability or versatility
If the mitral valve annulus anatomy is considered (thinner and smoother), then the natural valve structure is preserved, but it becomes difficult to properly seat and anchor a replacement valve
Solution Approach 1:
The frame structure incorporates localized features including distal and proximal anchoring zones with hooks, a self-expanding body portion, and leaflet structures with specific geometric configurations. These localized structural variations allow the device to adapt to the thinner and smoother mitral annulus anatomy while providing sufficient mechanical engagement through the anchoring hooks that can penetrate and secure into the annular tissue
Solution Approach 2:
The frame is designed with curved and contoured structures that match the natural geometry of the mitral valve annulus. The distal and proximal anchoring zones feature curved hooks that can engage with the annular tissue, and the overall frame configuration follows the anatomical curvature of the mitral valve plane, improving both adaptability to native anatomy and secure anchoring capability
Data Source
Figure 1~1A
Figure 1B~1C
Figure 1D~1E
AI summary
A heart valve assembly has a leaflet support structure and a leaflet assembly. The leaflet support structure has a wire frame that supports the leaflet assembly. The leaflet assembly has first and second separate leaflets, each of which is comprised of a skirt section and a sinus leaflet section. Each skirt section has a flange portion and a body portion that has a smaller diameter than the flange portion, with the body portion having opposing side edges, and a curved opening defined by a first stitching edge at about the central portion of the body portion. Each sinus leaflet section has an outflow edge, and a curved second stitching edge, with the sinus leaflet section stitched to the skirt section along the first and second stitching edges. The opposing side edges of the body portion of the first leaflet are stitched to the corresponding side edges of the body portion of the second leaflet.