Tapered Intra-Aortic Balloon Asymmetry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional intra-aortic balloons (IABs) experience reduced efficacy in inclined patients due to hydrostatic pressure gradients, which can lead to inefficient blood displacement and potential mechanical damage to blood cells, and are affected by patient orientation, leading to suboptimal coronary flow and increased afterload.
Innovation Solution
The design of an IAB with tapered sections, where one end is proximal to the heart and the other end is distal, allows for preferential inflation and deflation, reducing resistance and enhancing blood displacement, with a cylindrical section to maintain volume and minimize occlusion, and the use of elastic polymers with varying mechanical properties for improved performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional cylindrical IABs are used in inclined patients, then the balloon can be inserted and inflated, but hydrostatic pressure gradients cause inefficient blood displacement and reduced therapy efficacy
Solution Approach 1:
The balloon is designed with a tapered shape where the diameter decreases from the proximal end (near heart) to the distal end (far from heart). This asymmetric geometry creates a pressure gradient that promotes preferential inflation from proximal to distal, optimizing blood displacement toward the heart regardless of patient orientation. The tapered configuration ensures consistent therapeutic efficacy whether the patient is supine, inclined, or in other positions.
2Productivity
If high inflation pressures are applied to maximize blood displacement, then coronary flow increases, but mechanical damage to blood cells occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The tapered balloon design creates localized pressure distribution where the proximal section (near heart) experiences higher pressure to maximize coronary flow enhancement, while the distal section experiences lower pressure to minimize blood cell damage. This gradient in local pressure quality allows the balloon to simultaneously achieve effective coronary perfusion while protecting blood cells from mechanical trauma.
3Productivity
If the balloon is designed to occlude the aorta passage to maximize pumping effect, then blood flow towards heart increases, but blood cells may be trapped and burst between balloon and vessel wall
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of designing a balloon that fully occludes the aorta to maximize pumping effect, the invention inverts the approach by using a tapered balloon that creates a pressure gradient without complete occlusion. The tapered shape allows blood to flow around the balloon while still achieving effective pumping through pressure-driven displacement, thereby avoiding the harmful effect of trapping and bursting blood cells between the balloon and vessel wall.
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
This design improves blood flow to coronary arteries, reduces afterload, and minimizes mechanical stress on blood cells, maintaining efficiency regardless of patient orientation, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of IAB therapy.
Implementation Method 1
The hydrostatic pressure experienced along the length of conventional, nominally cylindrical lABs, inserted into the aorta of an inclined patient, causes them to inflate from top to bottom
Implementation Method 2
The balloon may comprise an elastic polymer
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a
AI summary
A medical balloon for a balloon pump is disclosed. The medical balloon has a first end and a second end and a port at one of the ends for engaging a catheter for receiving an inflation fluid into the balloon. The balloon has one or more exterior walls defining, when the balloon is inflated at substantially a standard operating pressure, a taper along at least a part of the length of the balloon. The taper has two or more consecutive tapering sections, each tapering section having a different, substantially constant, angle of tapering. The balloon is substantially asymmetrical about a mid-point between the first and second ends when inflated.