Self-Expandable Anchor for Implantable Sensor Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for implanting sensors in body lumens, such as the pulmonary artery, are invasive and require hospitalization, limiting their use and increasing costs, as they rely on balloon-tipped catheters for blood pressure measurement, which is not feasible for continuous monitoring outside a hospital setting.
Innovation Solution
A minimally invasive approach using a self-expandable anchor with a wire-like construction, made from superelastic material, to securely position and retrieve an implantable sensor within a body lumen, allowing for accurate hemodynamic parameter measurement without obstructing blood flow, and enabling repositioning or removal of the sensor assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a balloon-tipped catheter is used for blood pressure measurement, then accurate hemodynamic parameter measurement is achieved, but the procedure requires hospitalization and is highly invasive
Solution Approach 1:
The device separates the measurement function (sensor) from the delivery/anchoring function (catheter and anchor), allowing the sensor to be small and minimally invasive while the catheter provides the necessary delivery mechanism. The sensor can be precisely positioned in the pulmonary artery to measure hemodynamic parameters without requiring the bulky balloon-tipped catheter to remain in place.
Solution Approach 2:
The self-expandable anchor acts as an intermediary that secures the sensor in position without requiring the invasive balloon-tipped catheter. The anchor provides a stable mounting platform that allows accurate measurement while being less invasive than traditional catheter-based methods.
2Measurement precision
If a balloon-tipped pulmonary artery catheter is used, then blood pressure measurement is achieved, but continuous monitoring outside hospital is not feasible
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor is designed to be self-contained with wireless communication capabilities, allowing it to continuously monitor and transmit hemodynamic data without requiring hospital infrastructure. The device serves itself by autonomously measuring and communicating blood pressure data, enabling continuous monitoring in outpatient or home settings.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical balloon-tipped catheter system is replaced with a small implantable sensor that uses wireless electronic communication instead of mechanical connections to external monitoring equipment. This substitution enables continuous monitoring outside the hospital without requiring the cumbersome catheter setup.
3Reliability
If the sensor is securely fixed in place, then accurate measurement is maintained, but retrieval and repositioning become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor system transitions from a static fixed structure to a dynamic system that can be deployed and retrieved. The self-expandable anchor can be compressed for delivery, expanded for secure positioning, and then compressed again for retrieval, providing both stable fixation during measurement and ease of retrieval when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor is designed with predetermined expansion characteristics that allow it to automatically secure the sensor in position upon deployment. The self-expandable nature of the anchor provides immediate stable fixation without requiring additional securing steps, while its design inherently allows for retrieval by compressing it back to its low-profile state.
4Ease of operation
If the sensor assembly is made compact for minimally invasive delivery, then ease of implantation is improved, but the sensor may obstruct blood flow when deployed
Solution Approach 1:
The device transitions from a compact one-dimensional profile during delivery to a three-dimensional expanded structure at the deployment site. The self-expandable anchor radiates outward from a small delivery profile to a larger deployed configuration that secures the sensor while maintaining adequate blood flow through the pulmonary artery.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor and sensor housing use flexible, biocompatible materials that can be compressed to a thin profile for delivery and then expand to provide secure fixation. The flexible construction allows the device to conform to the vessel wall without creating significant obstruction to blood flow, while still providing stable sensor positioning.
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
This solution allows for accurate, minimally invasive placement and retrieval of sensors, reducing the need for hospitalization, improving patient quality of life, and potentially lowering healthcare costs by enabling continuous monitoring of vital signs like blood pressure without the need for extensive hospital procedures.
Implementation Method 1
The self-expandable anchor may be formed from a highly resilient material, preferably one having superelastic properties
Data Source
AI summary
A medical device adapted to be implanted in a vessel of a human body includes a housing that contains a diagnostic or therapeutic module and an anchor for supporting the housing in an intended location and orientation within the vessel. The anchor is expandable from a low profile configuration adapted for delivery to an expanded configuration for engagement with the vessel wall. The anchor and a delivery catheter are adapted to enable the medical device to be retrieved and repositioned or removed from the vessel. The anchor is adapted to apply sufficient force against the vessel wall to maintain the anchor in place but less force than that required to provide scaffolding support for the vessel.