Profile Altering Tip for Minimally Invasive Heart Valve Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional open-heart surgery for heart valve replacement is invasive and risky, and minimally invasive percutaneous techniques can cause inadvertent injury due to the tip of the delivery system during valve implantation.
Innovation Solution
A delivery system with a tip that transitions from a conical to a rounded profile in response to axial force, allowing safe delivery and deployment of a radially expandable prosthetic heart valve, minimizing trauma to the patient's anatomy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conical tip is used on the delivery system, then delivery to the implantation site is facilitated, but inadvertent injury to the patient is caused
Solution Approach 1:
The tip is designed to dynamically change its profile from conical to rounded in response to axial compressive force. During delivery, the tip maintains a conical profile for easy navigation and implantation site access. Upon application of axial force (indicating proximity to the implantation site), the tip transitions to a rounded profile that is atraumatic and safe for patient contact, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of delivery and patient safety
Solution Approach 2:
The tip's geometric parameters (shape, curvature radius) are changed in response to applied force. The transition from a sharp conical profile to a rounded profile with increased curvature radius occurs when axial compressive force is applied, transforming the tip from a potentially harmful shape to a safe shape while maintaining delivery functionality
2Reliability
If open-heart surgery is performed for heart valve replacement, then valve replacement is achieved, but significant patient trauma and risks are inflicted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional open-heart surgical approach (requiring sternotomy, cardiopulmonary bypass, and direct surgical intervention) with a percutaneous delivery system that introduces the prosthetic valve through a catheter. The tip's ability to transition from conical to rounded profile enables this minimally invasive approach by providing both delivery capability and patient safety, thereby achieving valve replacement with significantly reduced patient trauma
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 safe and minimally invasive deployment of prosthetic heart valves, reducing patient trauma and risk of injury during implantation by altering the tip profile from conical to rounded, facilitating smooth passage and expansion within the patient's anatomy.
Implementation Method 1
A tip is coupled with the distal end of the elongate member and transitions, in response to an axially applied force applied to the elongate member, from a first, conical profile to a second, rounded profile
Data Source
AI summary
A profile altering tip is provided for a delivery system. The tip defines a first profile with a generally conical shape and a second profile with a generally round shape. During use of the delivery system, a tip profile control assembly can alter the tip from the first profile to the second profile.