Prosthetic Heart Valve Cellular Structure for Regurgitation Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ischemic heart disease leads to valve regurgitation due to papillary muscle dysfunction and ventricular dilation, causing blood to flow back into the atrium, which results in increased stroke volume and decreased cardiac output, ultimately weakening the ventricle.
Innovation Solution
A prosthetic valve with a tubular body and expandable frame, featuring a cellular structure defined by joists and nodes, is percutaneously deliverable to a native heart valve in a compressed state and expands to secure tissue between the upstream support portion and flanges, facilitating one-way blood flow through a lumen.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a prosthetic valve is implanted to prevent regurgitation, then cardiac output is improved and ventricular overload is reduced, but the implantation procedure becomes complex requiring percutaneous delivery and expansion mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The prosthetic valve is nested within a delivery catheter in a compressed state, allowing percutaneous delivery through blood vessels to the heart valve location. The valve is then expanded from its compressed delivery configuration to its functional expanded state at the implantation site, eliminating the need for open-heart surgery.
Solution Approach 2:
The prosthetic valve transitions from a static compressed state during delivery to a dynamic expanded state at implantation. The valve structure is designed to be expandable and collapsible, allowing it to be delivered through a catheter and then deployed to its functional configuration to prevent regurgitation.
2Shape
If the valve annulus is dilated due to ischemic heart disease, then the native valve structure is altered, but this prevents the valve leaflets from fully coapting and causes regurgitation
Solution Approach 1:
The prosthetic valve provides a fixed geometric structure with predetermined dimensions that replaces the dilated, dysfunctional native valve annulus. This changes the structural parameters of the valve support, providing a stable framework that ensures proper leaflet coaptation regardless of the native annulus shape.
Solution Approach 2:
The prosthetic valve is constructed with a cellular structure comprising multiple struts and nodes that can be delivered in a compressed state and then expanded. This segmented structure allows the valve to be delivered percutaneously and then deployed to provide proper geometric support for leaflet coaptation.
3Reliability
If a traditional open-heart surgery is used for valve replacement, then the valve can be properly implanted, but the procedure is invasive with longer recovery time
Solution Approach 1:
The prosthetic valve is nested within a delivery catheter system that allows percutaneous access to the heart. This eliminates the need for open-heart surgery while maintaining the ability to properly implant the valve through minimally invasive transfemoral or transapical approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
A delivery catheter system serves as an intermediary device that transports the compressed prosthetic valve to the implantation site and facilitates its deployment. This intermediary mechanism enables minimally invasive implantation while ensuring proper valve positioning and function.
Data Source
AI summary
A tubular valve body has an upstream end and a downstream end, and has a central longitudinal axis, and defines a lumen along the axis. Prosthetic leaflets are disposed within the lumen, and are configured to facilitate one-way movement of fluid through the lumen in an upstream-to-downstream direction. The valve body has a cellular structure defined by a plurality of joists connected at nodes, the joists and nodes delimiting cells of the cellular structure. The nodes include minor nodes at which 2-4 joists are connected, and major nodes at which 6-8 joists are connected. The cells of the cellular structure comprise a first circumferential row of first-row cells. Each of the first-row cells is connected to each of its circumferentially-adjacent first-row cells at a respective one of the major nodes, and is longitudinally delimited by two of the minor nodes. Other embodiments are described.