Tissue Anchor Deployment via Catheter

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current cardiac valve repair procedures are invasive and require cardiac arrest, leading to significant morbidity and mortality risks.

Innovation Solution

A minimally invasive procedure using a delivery device to deploy a distal anchor within the heart, allowing for non-invasive repair of cardiac valves without the need for cardiac arrest.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional open-heart surgery is used for cardiac valve repair, then complete valve repair can be achieved, but significant morbidity and mortality risks occur due to invasive procedure and cardiac arrest requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve repair effectivenessVSAvoidmorbidity and mortality risks

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical open-heart surgical system with a catheter-based delivery system that can deploy anchors and repair devices through vascular access, eliminating the need for sternotomy and cardiac arrest while achieving valve repair

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a delivery catheter as an intermediary device that transports repair components (anchors, chords, leaflets) to the valve site through the bloodstream, avoiding direct surgical access to the heart chambers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If open-heart surgery is performed for valve repair, then direct access to the valve is obtained, but the procedure becomes more labor-intensive and technically challenging

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurgical accessibilityVSAvoidprocedure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the access dimension from direct surgical exposure of the valve to transvascular catheter delivery, navigating through the circulatory system to reach the valve from a remote entry point

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS20250161050A1Tissue anchor deployment

Publication Date: 2025.05.22 HARPOON MEDICAL INC

AI summary

A tissue anchor delivery device includes a handle, an elongate shaft projecting from the handle, a carrier configured to linearly translate within the handle, an elongate pusher shaft disposed at least partially within a lumen of the elongate shaft, a pusher hub coupled to the pusher shaft, the pusher hub being movably disposed within the handle and releasably coupled to the carrier, an elongate needle movably disposed at least partially within a lumen of the pusher shaft, a needle hub coupled to the needle, the needle hub being movably disposed within the handle and releasably coupled to the carrier, a suture having one or more strands that pass through at least a portion of lumen of the needle, a tissue anchor associated with a distal portion of the suture, and an actuator configured to cause movement of the carrier.