Prosthetic Implant Sheath With Flared Support Rods for Smooth Retraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing delivery systems for prosthetic implants face issues with stuck or unsmooth retraction and potential damage to the sheath during the retraction process, leading to complications in heart valve surgeries.
Innovation Solution
A sheath design featuring a tube with support rods and connecting strips that transition from a converged to a flared configuration, allowing for smooth retraction of prosthetic implants while maintaining structural strength and preventing damage, facilitated by a metal reinforcement layer and polymer covering film layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional sheath is used for retracting the prosthetic implant, then the delivery system structure is simple, but the retraction process experiences sticking and unsmooth movement, and the prosthetic implant may damage the sheath
Solution Approach 1:
The sheath is segmented into multiple functional zones: a distal expansion section with flared support rods and connecting strips, and a proximal cylindrical section with reinforcement layers. This segmentation allows the distal end to provide smooth retraction through flaring while the proximal end maintains structural strength, resolving the contradiction between retraction smoothness and structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support rods and connecting strips in the expansion section are designed to dynamically change shape during retraction. The connecting strips transition from a folded converged configuration to a straightened flared configuration, enabling the sheath to adapt its geometry during the retraction process and prevent sticking while maintaining structural strength.
2Strength
If the sheath structure is made stronger to prevent damage during retraction, then the sheath durability improves, but the retraction smoothness deteriorates due to increased rigidity
Solution Approach 1:
Different parts of the sheath have different structural properties: the distal expansion section has flexible support rods and connecting strips that flare outward to enable smooth retraction, while the proximal section has metal reinforcement layers and polymer covering films for strength. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between strength and retraction smoothness.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheath uses composite material construction with metal reinforcement layers and polymer covering films in the proximal section to provide strength, while the distal expansion section uses a flexible structure with support rods and connecting strips that can dynamically change shape. This composite approach allows both strength and retraction smoothness.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the support rods are made rigid to maintain structural integrity, then the sheath maintains its shape, but the retraction process becomes stuck and unsmooth
Solution Approach 1:
The support rods in the expansion section are designed to dynamically change from a converged configuration to a flared configuration during retraction. This dynamic transformation allows the sheath to maintain structural stability in the delivered state while enabling smooth retraction through geometric adaptation, resolving the contradiction between stability and retraction smoothness.
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
The design enhances the smoothness and success rate of prosthetic implant retraction, reducing the risk of damage to the sheath and improving surgical outcomes by distributing forces effectively during the retraction process.
Implementation Method 1
each connecting strip is folded back and forth in the converged configuration and tends to be straightened in the flared configuration relative to the converged configuration
Data Source
AI summary
A sheath for loading and retrieving a prosthetic implant is disclosed, which includes a tube. The tube has opposing distal and proximal ends in its axial direction, and the distal end has a plurality of support rods arranged at intervals in a circumferential direction of the tube and having relative converged and flared configurations. A plurality of connecting strips are provided in the axial direction between two adjacent support rods, and each connecting strip is folded back and forth in the converged configuration and tends to be straightened in the flared configuration relative to the converged configuration. The straightened lengths of the connecting strips increase sequentially from the proximal end to the distal end, and two ends of each connecting strip are connected to the support rods on the corresponding sides and the connecting portions have the same axial level.