Expandable Sponge-like LAA Occlusion Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for occluding the left atrial appendage to prevent stroke in atrial fibrillation patients are challenging due to the complex and variable nature of human LAAs, and existing devices may not effectively prevent clot formation or exit.
Innovation Solution
An expandable sponge-like component made from biodegradable biomaterials with a porous structure, which can transition between compressed and expanded configurations to conform to the LAA ostium, is deployed using a catheter system with a push wire mechanism, potentially impregnated with therapeutic agents and coated for enhanced efficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If metallic cages or fabric designs are used to occlude the LAA ostium, then the device can prevent clot exit, but the device cannot effectively adapt to the highly variable and complex nature of human LAAs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a porous occluding material that can be compressed into a delivery catheter and then expanded within the LAA. The porous structure allows the material to conform to the irregular geometry of the LAA ostium while maintaining occlusion effectiveness. The material's porosity enables it to adapt to variable LAA sizes and shapes, resolving the contradiction between reliable clot prevention and adaptability to anatomical variability.
Solution Approach 2:
The occluding material undergoes a parameter change from a compressed state during delivery to an expanded state at the deployment site. This transformation allows the device to transition from a compact form suitable for catheter delivery to a larger configuration that can effectively occlude the LAA ostium while adapting to anatomical variations.
2Ease of operation
If the occlusion device is delivered via catheter system, then the procedure is minimally invasive, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The occluding material is nested within a delivery catheter system, allowing the device to be delivered through a minimally invasive percutaneous approach. The catheter serves as a delivery vehicle that protects the occluding material during insertion and deployment, enabling minimally invasive access while managing the complexity of the overall device system.
3Reliability
If the sponge-like component is made from biodegradable biomaterial with porous structure, then the device can allow blood flow while preventing clot exit, but the manufacturing process becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The use of porous biodegradable biomaterial enables selective flow control where blood can pass through the porous structure while larger clots are blocked. The porous structure is integral to achieving the desired hemodynamic function of allowing physiological flow while preventing thrombus egress from the LAA.
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
The expandable sponge-like component effectively occludes the LAA, preventing clot exit and allowing blood flow while being adaptable to the LAA's varying size and shape, with the potential for slow-release therapeutic agents to enhance treatment outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
The expandable sponge-like component is configured to transition between a compressed configuration and an expanded configuration
Implementation Method 2
The component may include a biodegradable biomaterial having a porous structure
Data Source
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AI summary
A medical device for occluding a Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) of a human heart, including an expandable sponge-like component, having a proximal and distal ends, configured to transition between a compressed configuration and an expanded configuration. The expanded configuration of the sponge-like component is configured to conform to at least the entrance to the LAA, which is sufficient to prevent blood flow within the heart from entering the LAA.