Modular Valve Prosthesis Segmentation for Tortuous Vascular Delivery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing heart valve replacement methods, including traditional open surgery and minimally-invasive techniques, face challenges in accessing and deploying prosthetic valves due to the limitations of laparoscopic instruments and the tortuous vasculature, necessitating the development of flexible and modular valve prostheses and delivery systems.

Innovation Solution

A modular valve prosthesis comprising an inflow stent, valve component, and outflow stent, which can transition between radially collapsed and expanded configurations, facilitated by a delivery system with a capsule and flexible bands, allowing navigation through complex vasculature and precise alignment at the treatment site.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a traditional open surgery approach is used for heart valve replacement, then the valve can be properly implanted, but the patient experiences significant trauma and requires extensive recuperation time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve implantation successVSAvoidpatient trauma

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The valve prosthesis is divided into multiple modular sections that can be delivered separately through catheters and assembled at the treatment site, enabling minimally invasive percutaneous delivery while ensuring proper implantation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The modular valve sections are nested within a delivery catheter system, with each module contained within the catheter lumen during delivery, allowing percutaneous access while maintaining structural integrity until deployment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If laparoscopic instruments are used for minimally-invasive heart valve replacement, then patient trauma is reduced, but access to certain heart regions is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient traumaVSAvoidaccess to heart regions

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The valve delivery system utilizes catheter-based percutaneous access through the vascular system, employing fluid dynamics and pressure gradients to navigate and deploy the valve at the target heart region, providing versatile access compared to laparoscopic approaches

Inventive Principle:

Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

3Ease of operation

If a stented prosthetic heart valve is compressed radially for percutaneous delivery, then minimally-invasive delivery is enabled, but the ability to traverse tortuous vasculature is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveminimally-invasive deliveryVSAvoidnavigation through vasculature

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The valve sections are designed with dynamic compression and expansion capabilities, transitioning from a compressed delivery configuration within the catheter to an expanded functional configuration at the treatment site, facilitating navigation through tortuous vasculature

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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 the deployment of heart valve prostheses through tortuous vasculature with enhanced flexibility and alignment, reducing patient trauma and recovery time by using a modular design that can be delivered and assembled at the treatment site.

Implementation Method 1

The capsule is configured to maintain the modular valve prosthesis in a radially compressed delivery configuration for delivery to a treatment site

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRadial compression: Compression

Implementation Method 2

The capsule includes a first band between the first section and the second section

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFlexibility: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS12453632B2Modular valve prosthesis, delivery system, and method of delivering and deploying a modular valve prosthesis

Publication Date: 2025.10.28 MEDTRONIC VASCULAR INC

AI summary

A modular valve prosthesis includes an inflow stent, a valve component including a valve stent and a prosthetic valve, and an outflow stent. In a radially compressed delivery configuration, an inflow end of the valve stent is separated from an outflow end of the inflow stent and an outflow end of the valve stent is separated from an inflow end of the outflow stent. In a radially expanded deployed configuration, the inflow end of the valve stent is in contact with the outflow end of the inflow stent and the outflow end of the valve stent is in contact with the inflow end of the outflow stent. A delivery system includes a capsule including first, second and third sections and flexible first and second bands between respective sections. The modules of the modular valve prosthesis are aligned with the sections and gaps between the modules are aligned with the bands.