Retractable Vessel Anchor for Implantable Sensor Repositioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for an anchoring system that allows for accurate re-positioning and re-deployment, or removal, of implantable medical devices within a patient's vasculature after initial deployment, particularly for pressure sensing modules used in cardiovascular systems.
Innovation Solution
An implantable sensor assembly with a radially expandable anchor that can assume a collapsed configuration for delivery through a catheter and expand to engage the vessel wall, allowing for retraction and re-deployment, facilitating precise placement and removal of sensors within the body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the anchor is designed to be firmly anchored to the vessel wall for stable sensor positioning, then the sensor stability is improved, but the ability to reposition or remove the sensor is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor transitions from a static permanently-anchored structure to a dynamic structure that can change state between anchored and disengaged configurations. The intermediate portion with oblique angles allows the anchor to be pulled back into the collapsed configuration after deployment, enabling repositioning while maintaining stable anchoring during operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the anchor structure is made complex to enable retraction and re-deployment, then the repositioning capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor is divided into distinct functional segments: a proximal hub portion for sensor attachment, an intermediate portion with oblique angles for controlled expansion and retraction, and a distal portion for vessel engagement. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function while simplifying the overall repositioning mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor utilizes radial dimension changes through expansion and collapse configurations. The intermediate portion's oblique angles enable the structure to transition between a compact linear configuration for delivery and an expanded radial configuration for anchoring, achieving repositioning capability without complex mechanical components.
Data Source
AI summary
An anchor for an implantable medical device, for example, and implantable physiologic sensor, includes a proximal hub portion, an intermediate portion extending radially and distally from the hub portion, and a distal portion extending distally from the proximal portion and adapted to engage an inner surface of a target vessel for securing the implantable medical device therein. The anchor can assume a collapsed configuration for delivery through a catheter, and an expanded configuration for fixation within the vessel once deployed. The intermediate portion extends from the proximal portion at an oblique angle, allowing the anchor to be retracted and re-collapsed within the delivery catheter after initial deployment, if re-positioning or removal of the implantable medical device is necessary or desired.