Retrieval Wire Centering for Left Atrial Appendage Implant Recapture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical devices face difficulties in effectively placing and recapturing implants in the left atrial appendage due to high flow resistance and complex geometry, leading to potential thrombus formation and stroke risk.
Innovation Solution
A medical implant system with a frame that can actuate between collapsed and expanded configurations, featuring a tubular portion with a threaded insert for attachment to a core wire, and a guide element to center the implant within a delivery catheter lumen, ensuring proper placement and reducing thrombus formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the implant is designed to be delivered through a catheter to the left atrial appendage, then the device can be minimally invasively implanted, but the complex geometry and high flow resistance of the LAA make effective placement and recapture difficult
Solution Approach 1:
A guide element is introduced as an intermediary component between the implant and the delivery catheter. This guide element features a centering mechanism that actively engages with the catheter wall to maintain proper alignment and positioning of the implant within the catheter lumen during delivery and recapture maneuvers, thereby overcoming the difficulties posed by LAA geometry and flow resistance
Solution Approach 2:
The centering mechanism is pre-configured on the guide element before implant deployment. This preliminary centering action ensures that the implant is properly positioned within the catheter lumen before it is released into the LAA, preventing misplacement due to the complex LAA geometry and high flow resistance conditions
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the implant frame is made expandable to seal the left atrial appendage, then thrombus formation can be reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The implant frame is designed with dynamic expandability, transitioning from a compressed delivery configuration to an expanded deployed configuration. This dynamic transformation allows the frame to adapt to the LAA geometry and create an effective seal to prevent thrombus formation, while the expandable nature allows for controlled deployment through the catheter system
Solution Approach 2:
The frame is segmented into multiple expandable sections or struts that can independently deploy and conform to the LAA ostium geometry. This segmentation allows the complex sealing function to be achieved through coordinated deployment of simpler modular components, managing overall device complexity while maintaining effectiveness
3Manufacturing precision
If the implant is designed for recapture and repositioning, then placement accuracy can be improved, but the device complexity and potential for thrombus formation during manipulation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element with its centering mechanism serves as a mediator that facilitates recapture and repositioning operations. By maintaining engagement between the guide element and catheter wall during recapture, the system enables controlled manipulation and repositioning of the implant without requiring complex additional recapture mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The centering mechanism is pre-configured to automatically re-center the implant within the catheter lumen during recapture maneuvers. This preliminary centering action occurs as the implant is pulled back into the catheter, reducing the need for manual repositioning and simplifying the overall recapture process while maintaining placement accuracy
Data Source
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AI summary
An occlusive implant system may include a catheter having a lumen extending therethrough, a core wire slidably and rotatably disposed within the lumen, the core wire having a threaded member disposed at a distal end, and a medical implant having an expandable frame, an occlusive element disposed on the frame, and a threaded insert coupled to a proximal portion of the frame, wherein the threaded member is removably coupled to the threaded insert.