Occlusive Implant Hub Dynamics for LAA Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The left atrial appendage (LAA) in patients with atrial fibrillation experiences stagnant blood leading to thrombi formation, which can break loose and cause stroke or heart attack, as existing medical devices have limitations in effectively sealing the LAA to prevent thrombi entry into the bloodstream.
Innovation Solution
An occlusive implant with an expandable framework that shifts between expanded and collapsed configurations, maintaining a constant height and exerting a consistent radial force, is designed to conform to the LAA geometry, featuring a central hub and support members that bend radially inward to deepen the recess, ensuring effective sealing and accommodation of varying LAA sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the expandable framework is designed to shift between expanded and collapsed configurations to accommodate varying LAA sizes, then the adaptability to patient-specific anatomy is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The framework is designed with movable support members that can dynamically shift between expanded and collapsed configurations. The support members include curved portions with central recessed regions that allow the hub member to move relative to them, enabling the device to adapt to different LAA geometries while maintaining a manageable structural complexity through controlled dynamic movement rather than complex multi-component mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The hub member is positioned within the central recessed region formed by the curved portions of the support members. This nested arrangement allows the hub to move relative to the support members while remaining contained within the overall framework structure, enabling configuration changes without requiring external adjustment mechanisms or increasing overall device complexity
2Reliability
If the support members are configured to bend radially inward to maintain constant height during configuration shifts, then the sealing effectiveness is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support members incorporate curved portions with central recessed regions that are specifically shaped to guide the bending motion radially inward. This curvature design naturally directs the support members to bend in the desired manner during configuration shifts, maintaining constant height and improving sealing effectiveness while the curved geometry provides inherent guidance that reduces the need for extremely tight manufacturing tolerances on the bending paths
Solution Approach 2:
The framework maintains constant height as a fixed parameter while allowing the radial position and recess depth to change during configuration shifts. By decoupling the height parameter from the radial configuration changes, the design ensures consistent sealing performance across both expanded and collapsed states without requiring precise control of multiple simultaneous dimensional parameters during manufacturing
3Adaptability or versatility
If the central hub member shifts relative to the proximal end region during configuration changes, then the flexibility in accommodation of varying LAA sizes is improved, but the reliability of hub positioning may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The central recessed region is pre-formed in the curved portions of the support members to provide a defined pathway and stopping point for the hub member during its relative movement. This预先设计的 recess structure acts as a mechanical guide and limit stop, ensuring the hub remains properly positioned within the framework throughout configuration changes, thereby maintaining positioning reliability while enabling the flexibility needed for varying LAA sizes
Data Source
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Figure 2A
AI summary
An example occlusive implant is disclosed. The example occlusive implant includes an expandable framework including a height and a plurality of support members defining a proximal end region of the expandable framework and a central hub member attached to the plurality of support members. Additionally, the expandable framework is configured to shift between a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein the height of the expandable framework remains substantially the same in both the first configuration and the second configuration. Further, the central hub member is configured to shift relative to the proximal end region while the expandable framework shifts between the first configuration and the second configuration.