Shunt Device With Radiopaque Spring for Tissue Capture Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shunt devices for treating elevated pressure in the left atrium lack effective mechanisms to confirm proper tissue capture, which can lead to improper placement and increased risks of paradoxical stroke.
Innovation Solution
A shunt device with a coiled spring and retractable first release wire is used to capture tissue between its proximal and distal arms, allowing for confirmation of proper positioning through imaging of the stretched state of the coiled spring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a shunt device is implanted to reduce left atrial pressure, then the therapeutic effect is improved, but the risk of improper placement and paradoxical stroke increases without tissue capture confirmation
Solution Approach 1:
A coiled spring is introduced as an intermediary element between the proximal and distal arms of the shunt device. The spring serves as a visual indicator that mediates the confirmation of tissue capture, allowing operators to verify proper placement without adding complex sensing or imaging systems to the shunt device itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The coiled spring provides a visual indication (analogous to color change principle) through its stretched versus unstretched state. When the spring is stretched, it indicates successful tissue capture; when unstretched, it indicates failed capture. This visual feedback mechanism allows for simple verification of proper device placement.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional shunt devices are used without tissue capture confirmation, then the device complexity is reduced, but harmful effects such as paradoxical stroke increase
Solution Approach 1:
The coiled spring acts as an intermediary indicator that reduces harmful effects by enabling verification of proper tissue capture. This simple visual indicator prevents improper placement that could lead to paradoxical stroke, without requiring complex safety systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The coiled spring is deployed simultaneously with the shunt device during implantation. The spring's state is checked immediately upon deployment to confirm tissue capture before the device begins its therapeutic function, preventing harmful effects from improper placement.
3Measurement precision
If a coiled spring is added to indicate tissue capture, then placement accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coiled spring provides measurement precision through visual indication of its stretched state. This simple optical indicator allows operators to precisely determine whether tissue capture has occurred without adding complex sensors or measurement systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The coiled spring serves as an intermediary measurement indicator that provides precise verification of tissue capture while maintaining device simplicity. The spring's physical state directly indicates capture status without requiring additional measurement infrastructure.
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
Ensures accurate tissue capture verification, reducing the risk of improper placement and paradoxical stroke by providing a visual indication of successful anchoring.
Implementation Method 1
The coiled spring is configured to stretch to accommodate tissue captured between the distal arm and the proximal arm
Data Source
AI summary
A shunt device includes a central passageway, a proximal arm, and a distal arm. The proximal and distal arms are shaped to capture tissue therebetween for anchoring the shunt device. The shunt device preferably includes a spring element having a distal end coupled to the distal arm and a proximal end coupled to the proximal arm. The spring element is stretchable for accommodating the tissue captured between the distal and proximal arms. The spring element is preferably made from a radiopaque material, thereby providing a clinician with a visual indication that tissue has been captured between the proximal and distal arms of the shunt device. A release wire may be coupled to one end of the spring element. The release wire is retractable for releasing the end of the spring element.