Sensor Retention Structure for Cardiac Implant Pressure Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for monitoring cardiac pressure, particularly in the left atrium, are inadequate for early detection of congestive heart failure, as they often rely on invasive procedures or indirect measurements that can be unreliable and fail to provide timely warnings, leading to increased hospital readmissions and morbidity.
Innovation Solution
The development of a sensor-retention structure integrated with cardiac implant devices that includes a sensor-support arm and retention fingers to securely attach pressure sensors to pulmonary veins and associated anatomy, allowing for direct monitoring of left atrial pressure, enabling proactive intervention in congestive heart failure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If invasive procedures or indirect measurements are used for cardiac pressure monitoring, then the monitoring can be performed with simpler devices, but the reliability and timeliness of detection deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the sensor device with the cardiac implant device into an integrated system. The sensor is positioned within the implant device structure, allowing direct contact with cardiac tissue for reliable pressure detection while utilizing the existing implant framework to support the sensing functionality, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a retention structure as an intermediary component between the sensor device and the cardiac implant device. This retention structure securely positions the sensor against the cardiac tissue, ensuring reliable signal acquisition while maintaining a modular design that separates the sensing function from the implant structure, balancing reliability with manageable device complexity
2Loss of time
If direct pressure measurement is implemented, then early detection capability improves, but the device complexity and surgical complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The retention structure is designed to be pre-assembled or pre-positioned within the implant device framework before final deployment. This preliminary arrangement of components simplifies the surgical implantation process and reduces intraoperative complexity, while still enabling direct pressure measurement for early detection of congestive heart failure
Solution Approach 2:
The cardiac implant device is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides structural support for the sensor, acts as the implantation framework, and enables direct pressure measurement. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated sensor mounting structures, thereby enabling early detection capability while controlling overall device complexity
3Stability of the object's composition
If sensor retention structures are added, then sensor positioning stability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retention structure applies localized stabilization features at specific positions within the implant device where the sensor contacts the cardiac tissue. Rather than making the entire device more complex, the retention mechanism is concentrated in the local region where sensor positioning stability is needed, providing targeted stabilization with minimal added complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The retention structure is designed as a separate, modular component that can be independently positioned and adjusted within the implant device. This segmentation allows the retention function to be added or modified without redesigning the entire implant system, improving sensor positioning stability while keeping the overall device complexity manageable through modular architecture
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor-retention structure includes a sensor-support strut and a means for securing a sensor device to the sensor-support strut. A sensor-support arm can be configured to have disposed thereon an at least partially cylindrical sensor device and be associated with one or more sensor-retention fingers projecting from the sensor-support arm and/or a cage structure configured to be secured to the sensor device.