Tissue Anchor Cartridge Track for Controlled Sequential Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tissue anchor systems struggle with efficient deployment and control, particularly in scenarios lacking line-of-sight, and lack mechanisms for preventing multiple anchors from being advanced simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
A catheter system with a series of cartridges and an anchor driver, where each cartridge is movable along a track to a deployment position, allowing controlled advancement of tissue anchors, and includes mechanisms to prevent simultaneous multiple anchor deployment, with a tether system for anchoring and tension control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple tissue anchors are pre-loaded in a magazine clip for rapid reloading, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for precise control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the anchor storage into multiple discrete cartridges, each holding a single tissue anchor. This segmentation allows the operator to load multiple anchors in advance (improving productivity) while maintaining simple individual cartridge designs that are easy to control (reducing overall system complexity).
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple tissue anchors are pre-loaded into separate cartridges before the procedure begins. This preliminary action enables rapid reloading during the procedure without requiring complex real-time loading mechanisms, thus improving productivity while keeping the control system relatively simple.
2Ease of operation
If cartridges are made movable along a track for manual positioning, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability decreases due to potential positioning errors
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates visual indicators and alignment features that provide feedback to the operator during cartridge positioning. This feedback mechanism ensures that even when cartridges are manually moved along the track, they can be accurately positioned and identified, maintaining reliability while preserving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The track design includes multiple equivalent positioning stations with identical functional characteristics. This allows cartridges to be positioned at different locations along the track while maintaining consistent deployment capability, ensuring reliability regardless of the specific position chosen by the operator.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a tether system is used for chronically implanted anchors, then adaptability is improved for long-term applications, but device complexity increases due to tether management requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The tether is extracted as a separate, dedicated component rather than being integrated into the anchor or delivery system. This allows the tether to be managed independently through simple pulling and tensioning actions, reducing the overall system complexity while maintaining the adaptability needed for chronic implantation applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The tether serves multiple functions: it delivers the anchor to the target site, provides tension for proper anchor deployment, and remains as a permanent component for long-term anchor retention. This multi-functionality achieves adaptability for chronic implantation without requiring separate systems for each function, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A tube (1072) has a distal opening and a proximal end that defines a proximal opening. An extracorporeal unit (1274, 1474) is coupled to the proximal end, defines a deployment position, and comprises a track (1272, 1472) that leads to the deployment position. Each cartridge (1220, 1240) of a series holds a respective tissue anchor (1020) and is coupled to the extracorporeal unit at a respective initial position. Each cartridge is moveable along the track from the respective initial position to the deployment position such that the cartridge holds its tissue anchor opposite the proximal opening. An anchor driver (1060) can advance the tissue anchor distally out of its cartridge, through the proximal opening, and through the tube. Each cartridge is subsequently removable from the deployment position thereby vacating the deployment position for a successive cartridge of the series. Other applications are also described.