Nested Sleeve Implant Delivery for Ascending Aorta Positioning

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing devices for delivering and deploying compressible implants in blood vessels, particularly in the ascending aorta, face challenges in exact positioning due to the curvature of the aortic arch and risk of damaging the inner wall or aortic valve, especially in acute cases.

Innovation Solution

A device with an inner sleeve and outer sleeve arrangement allows the implant to expand starting from the second end, enabling precise positioning by unfolding in the direction of insertion, and can be introduced through the heart muscle to avoid the aortic arch, with a distal end that is rounded or tapered for easier insertion and optional openings for unimpeded blood flow.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the implant is delivered from the inguinal vessels through the aortic arch, then access to the ascending aorta is achieved, but the curvature of the aortic arch makes exact positioning difficult and increases the risk of vessel damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess to ascending aortaVSAvoidpositioning accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional delivery approach by introducing the implant device through the heart apex and aortic valve rather than from the inguinal vessels. This reverse pathway eliminates the aortic arch curvature problem and enables precise positioning in the ascending aorta, directly addressing the contradiction between ease of access and positioning accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Ease of operation

If the implant is delivered from the inguinal vessels, then access to the ascending aorta is achieved, but the risk of damaging the inner wall or aortic valve increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess to ascending aortaVSAvoidrisk of vessel damage

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

By reversing the delivery route to approach the ascending aorta from the heart apex rather than from peripheral vessels, the patent eliminates the need to navigate the tortuous aortic arch, thereby reducing mechanical trauma risk to the vessel wall and aortic valve while maintaining surgical accessibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Productivity

If the implant expands from the first end (proximal end), then deployment is achieved, but exact positioning is difficult due to the expansion direction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment speedVSAvoidpositioning accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the expansion sequence by designing the implant to expand from the second end (distal end) toward the first end (proximal end), opposite to conventional designs. This reversal allows the implant to unfold in the direction of device withdrawal, enabling the proximal portion to be positioned precisely near the aortic valve before full expansion occurs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

4Measurement precision

If a complex delivery device is used to achieve exact positioning, then positioning accuracy is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoiddevice structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a nested sleeve structure where an inner sleeve containing the implant is positioned within an outer sleeve. This nested arrangement provides a simple yet effective mechanism for controlled implant deployment and precise positioning without requiring complex mechanical components, thereby achieving high positioning accuracy with minimal device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

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

Facilitates simple and rapid exact positioning of stent grafts in the ascending aorta, reducing the risk of damaging the aortic valve and coronary vessels, and allows for precise placement and removal regardless of vessel condition, supporting acute patient care with a cost-effective and widely applicable solution.

Implementation Method 1

a hollow cylindrical section made of a self-expanding wire mesh, which is introduced into the vessel in a radially compressed state and remains in the expanded state at the desired location in the vessel

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSelf-expanding: Elastic Recovery

Data Source

PatentEP3897454B1Device for feeding and setting an implant into a blood vessel

Publication Date: 2022.06.08 MEDIZINISCHE UNIVERSITAET WIEN

Figure 1~4
Figure 5~7
Figure 8~12

AI summary

The invention relates to a device (10) for feeding and setting an implant (1) into a blood vessel (B), the implant having a hollow cylindrical portion (2) formed from an expandable wire mesh netting (3) having a first end (5) and a second end (6), the device comprising a sleeve for receiving the implant (1), which sleeve is formed by an inner sleeve (12), around which at least one outer sleeve (13) having a distal end (14) and a proximal end (16) is arranged. The implant (1) is arranged in the inner sleeve (12) in such a way that the second end (6) of the hollow cylindrical portion (2) having the three spacers (7) is arranged on the end facing the proximal end (16) of the outer sleeve (12) such that, during the setting of the implant (1), the inner sleeve (12) can be moved into the outer sleeve (13) in the distal direction so that the implant (1) expands, beginning from the second end (6) having the spacers (7).