Snare-Based Left Atrial Appendage Closure Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for closing the left atrial appendage, such as suturing or stapling, are invasive and carry risks, and existing occlusion devices may not effectively prevent blood flow, necessitating the development of minimally invasive or intravascular techniques for safer thrombus prevention in atrial fibrillation patients.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising an elongate body with a snare loop assembly and a shuttle, allowing for partial or full retraction of the snare and shuttle into the elongate body to facilitate safe closure and removal, featuring a handle with a track and release assembly to manage the snare and suture loop, enabling secure ligation of the left atrial appendage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If open-heart surgery is used to close the left atrial appendage, then better control and view of instruments are achieved, but the procedure becomes more invasive with higher risks and longer recovery
Solution Approach 1:
The closure device is nested within a delivery catheter that is introduced through a peripheral vein. The entire closure mechanism, including the snare, suture loop, and locking components, is contained within the catheter shaft during delivery, allowing minimally invasive access to the heart while maintaining the ability to deploy complex closure structures at the target site.
Solution Approach 2:
A delivery catheter serves as an intermediary tool that enables the closure device to be introduced through peripheral veins rather than requiring direct surgical access to the heart. The catheter acts as a conduit that protects the closure device during navigation through the bloodstream and provides a controlled environment for deployment at the left atrial appendage.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If minimally invasive techniques are used to close the left atrial appendage, then the procedure is less invasive with lower risks, but instrument access and control become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The snare loop assembly is designed to be dynamically adjustable during the procedure. The operator can control the expansion and contraction of the snare loop through the catheter, allowing the device to adapt to the anatomy of the left atrial appendage and enabling precise control of the closure process despite the minimally invasive approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure device is segmented into multiple functional components that can be independently controlled and deployed: the delivery catheter, the snare loop assembly, the suture loop, and the locking mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function and enables step-by-step deployment that maintains operator control throughout the procedure.
3Reliability
If suturing or stapling methods are used to close the left atrial appendage, then effective closure is achieved, but the procedures are highly invasive with significant risks
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the traditional mechanical suturing or stapling system with a snare-based ligation system delivered through a catheter. Instead of requiring external surgical instruments to pass sutures through or staple the appendage, the device uses a self-contained snare mechanism that can be deployed internally to ligate the appendage base, eliminating the need for open surgical access while maintaining closure effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure device is designed to be self-contained and self-deploying within the catheter system. The snare loop, suture loop, and locking mechanism work together as an integrated system that can be deployed and secured without requiring additional surgical instruments or external manipulation, thereby reducing the invasiveness of the procedure while maintaining reliable closure.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If existing occlusion devices are used to fill the left atrial appendage, then the procedure is less invasive, but they may not effectively prevent all blood flow into the appendage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the critical ligation function from the bulk of the occlusion device. Rather than filling the entire appendage with a large occlusion mass, the device uses a snare loop that can be positioned precisely at the appendage base to ligate the ostium. This extracts the essential blood flow blocking function to a targeted location, ensuring complete prevention of inflow while maintaining a minimally invasive profile.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure device concentrates its closure function at the critical location of the appendage base rather than distributing occlusion material throughout the entire appendage. The snare loop is positioned specifically at the ostium to create a localized ligation that completely blocks blood flow entry, while the rest of the appendage can remain filled with less invasive occlusion material or be left untreated.
Data Source
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AI summary
Described here are closure devices and methods for ligating tissue, such as the left atrial appendage. Generally, the closure devices include an elongate body, a snare loop assembly comprising a snare and a suture loop, and a shuttle connected to the snare and releasably coupled to the elongate body and retractable therein. In some variations, the shuttle may be configured to fit into the lumen. In other variations, a handle may be attached to the elongate body, and the handle may comprise a track and a snare control coupled to the track. The handle may be configured to release the shuttle from the elongate body and allow movement of the snare control along the track to retract the snare loop and the shuttle into a lumen of the elongate body.