Bone-Anchored Subcutaneous Implant Clip for Minimally Invasive Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Implantable medical devices such as cardiac monitors and pacemakers require invasive surgeries for implantation, which can be painful and risky for patients.
Innovation Solution
A subcutaneously implantable device with a housing, a clip to anchor to bone, and an electrode to contact organs, allowing for minimally invasive implantation and electrical signal sensing or stimulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional invasive surgery is used to implant medical devices, then reliable device placement and anchoring can be achieved, but patient pain and surgical risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate functional components: a housing containing electrical circuitry, a lead with electrodes, and a clip for anchoring. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates minimally invasive insertion through a needle or catheter, reducing surgical trauma while maintaining reliable device placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The clip acts as an intermediary element between the housing and the bone. It includes a rigid top portion for anchoring to the bone, a flexible intermediate portion that can be inserted through tissue, and a rigid bottom portion connected to the housing. This intermediary structure enables reliable bone anchoring while allowing minimally invasive delivery.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid structure is used for device anchoring, then stable fixation can be achieved, but the ability to move through tissue during insertion is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The clip's intermediate portion is designed with flexible properties that change dynamically during operation. During insertion, the flexible intermediate portion allows the rigid top and bottom portions to move relative to each other, enabling passage through tissue. Once positioned, the flexible portion can be compressed or deformed to lock the rigid portions in a stable anchored position.
Solution Approach 2:
The clip's mechanical properties are designed to change parameters during insertion and anchoring. The intermediate portion transitions from a flexible state during insertion to a compressed or deformed state during anchoring, allowing the rigid portions to achieve stable fixation. This parameter change enables both easy insertion and stable anchoring.
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
Enables minimally invasive implantation of medical devices, reducing patient discomfort and surgical risks while maintaining diagnostic and therapeutic functionality.
Implementation Method 1
an intermediate portion between the top portion and the bottom portion that is configured to permit movement of the top portion with respect to the bottom portion and thereby apply force onto the bone between the top portion and the bottom portion
Implementation Method 2
an electrode that is configured to contact an organ... circuitry in the housing in electrical communication with the electrode that is configured to at least one of: (i) sense an electrical signal from the organ through the electrode, or (ii) deliver electrical stimulation to the organ through the electrode
Data Source
AI summary
A subcutaneously implantable device includes a housing, a clip attached to a top side of the housing that is configured to anchor the device to a bone, and an electrode that is configured to contact an organ. The clip includes a top portion that is rigid, a bottom portion that is rigid, and an intermediate portion between the top portion and the bottom portion that is configured to permit movement of the top portion with respect to the bottom portion and thereby apply force onto the bone between the top portion and the bottom portion.