Expandable Stent With Positioning Arches For Cardiac Valve Anchoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for treating cardiac valve stenosis or insufficiency often result in inexact implantation of endoprostheses, leading to leakage or valvular insufficiency due to challenges in precise positioning and longitudinal alignment, which can cause coronary ischemia or complete detachment of the prosthesis.

Innovation Solution

An expandable stent with positioning arches and retaining arches, including auxiliary and fastening mechanisms, is designed to securely anchor a valvular prosthesis at the cardiac valve site, minimizing longitudinal displacement and ensuring precise positioning through a minimally invasive procedure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a self-expandable stent with anchoring barbs is used to securely anchor the prosthesis, then the reliability of prosthesis fixation is improved, but the difficulty of precise positioning and longitudinal alignment increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprosthesis fixationVSAvoidpositioning accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The stent is divided into multiple functional segments: positioning arches (first plurality of arches) that engage with native valve leaflets for precise positioning, and anchoring barbs (second plurality of arches) that secure the prosthesis to the vascular wall. This segmentation allows each segment to perform its specific function independently, resolving the contradiction between secure fixation and positioning accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The positioning arches are designed to first engage with the native valve leaflets before the anchoring barbs are deployed. This preliminary positioning action ensures accurate longitudinal alignment and placement of the prosthesis before the anchoring mechanism is activated, thereby maintaining positioning accuracy while achieving reliable fixation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Stability of the object's composition

If anchoring barbs are used to engage with the vascular wall, then the stability of prosthesis placement is improved, but the risk of coronary ischemia due to incorrect positioning increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprosthesis placement stabilityVSAvoidcoronary ischemia risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The stent separates positioning functions (positioning arches engaging native leaflets) from anchoring functions (barbs engaging vascular wall). This ensures that stable placement is achieved through proper positioning first, preventing coronary ostia obstruction before anchoring occurs, thereby reducing coronary ischemia risk while maintaining placement stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The positioning arches perform preliminary positioning by engaging with native valve leaflets, ensuring correct longitudinal alignment that prevents coronary ostia obstruction. Only after this safe positioning is achieved are the anchoring barbs deployed to provide stable placement, thus eliminating the harmful effect while maintaining stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If a minimally invasive transluminal implantation method is used, then the ease of operation and patient risk are reduced, but the precision of prosthesis positioning and alignment deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimplantation procedureVSAvoidprosthesis positioning precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The stent incorporates dedicated positioning arches that engage with anatomical landmarks (native valve leaflets) during transluminal delivery. This segmentation provides inherent positioning guidance that maintains precision despite the minimally invasive approach, allowing accurate placement without open surgery.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The positioning arches automatically engage with the native valve leaflets to provide self-positioning during the minimally invasive procedure. This self-service positioning mechanism ensures precise longitudinal alignment without requiring complex external guidance systems, maintaining positioning precision while enabling easy minimally invasive implantation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2538878B1Stent for the positioning and anchoring of a valvular prosthesis in an implantation site in the heart of a patient
Publication Date: 2021.11.24 JENAVALVE TECH INC
  • EP2538878B1 patent drawingFigure 1a
  • EP2538878B1 patent drawingFigure 1b
  • EP2538878B1 patent drawingFigure 1c

AI summary

The present invention relates to a stent (10) for the positioning and anchoring of a valvular prosthesis (100) in an implantation site in the heart of a patient. Specifically, the present invention relates to an expandable stent for an endoprosthesis used in the treatment of a narrowing of a cardiac valve and/or a cardiac valve insufficiency. So as to ensure that no longitudinal displacement of a valvular prosthesis (100) fastened to a stent (10) will occur relative the stent (10) in the implanted state of the stent (10), even given the peristaltic motion of the heart, the stent (10) according to the invention comprises at least one fastening portion (11 Ha) via which the valvular prosthesis (100) is connectable to the stent (10). The stent (10) further comprises positioning arches (15a, 15b, 15c) and retaining arches (16a, 16b, 16c), whereby at least one positioning arch (15a, 15b, 15c) is connected to at least one retaining arch (16a, 16b, 16c).