Pivot-Jointed Prosthetic Heart Valve Frame for Reduced Leaflet Pinching
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for improved transcatheter heart valves and delivery devices that can be implanted minimally invasively through the vasculature, addressing the limitations of conventional open-heart surgery and existing percutaneous valve technologies.
Innovation Solution
A prosthetic valve assembly with a radially expandable and compressible annular frame, featuring a valvular structure and leaflet-supporting cords, which includes a plurality of inner and outer struts with pivot joints, allowing for the assembly of prosthetic valves that can be delivered in a compressed state and expanded at the implantation site, and a frame design that reduces pinching of soft components during radial compression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the prosthetic valve is compressed to a small profile for percutaneous delivery, then the invasiveness of the procedure is reduced, but the stress and pinching on the leaflets and soft components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The frame employs a dynamic lattice structure with pivot joints that allow the struts to rotate relative to each other during compression and expansion. This dynamic mechanism enables the frame to transition between compressed and expanded states while distributing stresses away from the leaflets and soft components, resolving the contradiction between small crimped profile and reduced pinching.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the structural parameters of the frame by using a lattice design with specific strut configurations and pivot joint mechanisms. These parameter changes allow the frame to achieve a small crimped profile while maintaining adequate support for the leaflets during compression, thereby reducing pinching of soft components.
2Reliability
If conventional open-heart surgery is used for valve replacement, then the valve can be implanted with stable positioning, but the invasiveness and surgical complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The valve assembly is segmented into distinct components: a collapsible frame, leaflets, and a delivery system. This segmentation allows the valve to be compressed onto a catheter for minimally invasive percutaneous delivery while maintaining the ability to expand to a stable, functional configuration at the implantation site, thus achieving both reduced invasiveness and reliable implantation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a delivery system as an intermediary mechanism that facilitates the transition of the valve from a compressed delivery state to an expanded implanted state. This intermediary system enables minimally invasive delivery while ensuring stable valve positioning and function after implantation.
3Reliability
If more tissue material is used in the leaflets to withstand compression stresses, then the durability of the valve improves, but the crimped profile size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic lattice frame with pivot joints actively manages compression stresses by allowing strut rotation, which distributes and reduces the pinching forces on the leaflets. This dynamic stress management enables the use of thinner, more compliant leaflet materials that can be crimped to a smaller profile while maintaining durability through reduced stress exposure.
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 solution enables durable and efficient implantation of prosthetic heart valves with reduced stress on leaflets, minimizing tissue material use and achieving a smaller crimped profile, while maintaining effective blood flow regulation.
Implementation Method 1
The inner struts can overlap adjacent outer struts at a plurality of pivot joints and radial expansion or compression of the annular frame can cause the inner struts to pivot relative to the outer struts at the pivot joints
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
A prosthetic valve assembly includes a radially expandable and compressible annular frame. The frame includes a plurality of interconnected struts, which include a plurality of inner struts and a plurality of outer struts. The inner struts overlap adjacent outer struts at a plurality of pivot joints. Radial expansion or compression of the annular frame causes the inner struts to pivot relative to the outer struts at the pivot joints. The assembly also includes a valvular structure having a plurality of leaflets, each leaflet having a cusp edge portion. The assembly further includes one or more leaflet- supporting cords, each having a plurality of anchoring portions and a plurality of suspended portions, each suspended portion extending between two adjacent anchoring portions. The anchoring portions are affixed to respective anchoring features of the frame adjacent the pivot joints. The cusp edge portions of the leaflets are connected to the suspended portions.