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 inaccurate positioning and longitudinal displacement of valvular prostheses, leading to potential leakage, valvular insufficiency, and risk of detachment due to peristaltic motion, which can cause significant ventricular stress and complications such as coronary ischemia.
Innovation Solution
An expandable stent with positioning arches, retaining arches, and auxiliary arches, featuring fastening portions with multiple holes and notches for precise attachment of the valvular prosthesis, which minimizes longitudinal displacement and prevents chafing, ensuring secure anchoring and accurate positioning within the cardiac valve.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a self-expandable stent with positioning arches is used to anchor the valvular prosthesis, then the anchoring capability is improved, but the risk of longitudinal displacement and inexact positioning remains
Solution Approach 1:
The stent is divided into multiple functional segments: positioning arches for anchoring, retaining arches for securing the prosthesis, and connecting webs for structural integrity. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally, with positioning arches providing reliable anchoring while retaining arches ensure precise positioning of the valvular prosthesis.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting webs act as intermediaries between the positioning arches and retaining arches, transmitting forces and maintaining the spatial relationship between these components. This intermediary structure ensures that the anchoring force from positioning arches is effectively transferred to secure the prosthesis in the correct position.
2Strength
If anchoring barbs are used to engage with the vascular wall, then the anchoring strength is improved, but the risk of tissue damage and complications increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using aggressive anchoring barbs that concentrate force on small tissue areas, the stent employs distributed positioning arches that spread the anchoring force over a larger surface area of the vascular wall. This local quality modification reduces peak stresses and minimizes tissue damage while maintaining adequate anchoring strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning arches are designed with curved, arch-like structures rather than sharp barbs. This curvature allows the stent to engage with the vascular wall in a more gradual, distributed manner, reducing the risk of tissue penetration and damage while still providing sufficient anchoring force to prevent displacement.
3Reliability
If the valvular prosthesis is securely fastened to the stent, then the risk of detachment is reduced, but the risk of chafing and wear increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting webs are designed as flexible, thin structural elements that connect the positioning arches to the retaining arches. These flexible connections allow for slight movements and deformations without creating excessive friction or chafing forces on the valvular prosthesis, thereby reducing wear while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent structure incorporates dynamic elements that can adapt to physiological movements. The connecting webs and arches can flex and deform elastically in response to peristaltic motion and heart cycle variations, reducing static friction and chafing forces on the prosthesis while maintaining secure fastening.
4Measurement precision
If multiple positioning arches are used to ensure precise positioning, then the positioning accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stent combines multiple functions into integrated structures: positioning arches serve both as anchoring elements and as positioning references, while retaining arches simultaneously secure the prosthesis and maintain spatial orientation. This merging of functions reduces the number of separate components needed, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining positioning accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
Each arch structure in the stent is designed to perform multiple functions: positioning, anchoring, and prosthesis retention. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of components required, simplifying the overall device structure while ensuring precise positioning through the coordinated action of these universal elements.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a stet for the positioning and anchoring of a valvular prosthesis 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 fastened to a stent will occur relative the stent in the implanted state of the stent, even given the peristaltic motion of the heart, the stent according to the invention comprises at least one fastening portion via which the valvular prosthesis is connectable to the stent. The stent further comprises positioning arches and retaining arches, whereby at least one positioning arch is connected to at least one retaining arch via a first connecting web. The stent moreover comprises at least one auxiliary retaining arch which connects the respective arms of the at least one retaining arch connected to the at least one positioning arch.