Tissue Crosslinking for Seamless Valve Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current methods for manufacturing transcatheter aortic valve prostheses are time-consuming, costly, and prone to errors due to the manual suturing process, which creates mechanical weak points that can lead to implant failure and complications, and there is a need for a more efficient and stable connection method for biological tissue in medical implants.
Innovation Solution
A process for chemical crosslinking of tissue using a crosslinking agent under static, quasi-static, or periodic pulsatile pressure compression to create a seamless, homogeneous, and mechanically stable connection between tissue components, eliminating the need for surgical sutures and reducing manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If manual suturing is used to connect tissue components, then the implant can be assembled with conventional surgical techniques, but mechanical weak points are created that can lead to implant failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical suturing system with a chemical crosslinking system. Tissue components are treated with crosslinking agents (such as glutaraldehyde, genipin, or EDC/NHS chemistry) that form covalent bonds between collagen fibers at the interface, eliminating the need for mechanical sutures and their associated weak points while maintaining assembly feasibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the tissue surface by introducing crosslinkable functional groups (amino groups, carboxyl groups, hydroxyl groups) and applying crosslinking agents that modify the tissue chemistry. This creates a chemically bonded interface that is mechanically superior to sutured connections
2Ease of manufacture
If manual suturing process is used, then conventional surgical techniques can be applied, but the process becomes time-consuming and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies crosslinking treatment to tissue components before final assembly. The tissue components are pre-crosslinked or pre-treated with crosslinking agents, which simplifies the final assembly process and reduces manufacturing time by eliminating complex suturing operations during implant assembly
Solution Approach 2:
By replacing time-consuming manual suturing with chemical crosslinking processes that can be applied more efficiently, the patent significantly reduces assembly time and minimizes human error while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized chemical treatment protocols
3Ease of operation
If tissue components are connected with surgical sutures, then the implant can be assembled, but the numerous surgical nodes represent mechanical weak points
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the tissue components into a unified structure through chemical crosslinking that creates continuous bonds across the interface. This eliminates discrete suture nodes and creates a homogeneous, seamless connection that distributes mechanical stress uniformly across the entire bonded interface rather than concentrating it at discrete suture points
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes mechanical suture connections with chemical crosslinking bonds, creating a seamless integration of tissue components that eliminates surgical nodes and their inherent mechanical weak points while maintaining ease of assembly through chemical treatment protocols
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 process enables the production of medical implants with enhanced mechanical stability and reduced risk of failure by forming strong, seamless connections between tissue components, improving the durability and reliability of implants like transcatheter aortic valve prostheses.
Implementation Method 1
the collagen fibers are crosslinked by a suitable crosslinking agent through the incorporation of chemical bonds. The crosslinking agent specifically binds to free amino groups of the collagen fibers and forms chemically stable bonds between the collagen fibers
Implementation Method 2
chemical crosslinking of tissue joining partners including crosslinkable groups, such as free amino groups, by a suitable crosslinking agent under static, quasi-static or periodic pulsatile pressure compression
Data Source
AI summary
A process for chemical crosslinking of tissue joining partners including crosslinkable groups, such as free amino groups, by a suitable crosslinking agent under static, quasi-static or periodic pulsatile pressure compression. The compression can be in a defined overlap region for seamless, dense and tight tissue closure. This results in a seamless, homogeneous, and at the same time mechanically stable connection/joining of tissue/tissue components. Seamless connected tissue is provided that includes a piece of tissue having at least two tissue parts overlapping each other and the at least two tissue parts overlapping each other that are materially bonded to each other via crosslinked groups of the tissue.