Transapical Delivery System with Articulating Joint
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional delivery systems for collapsible prosthetic heart valves struggle with patient-specific mismatches between the apical and annular axes and the presence of interfering tissue structures, making precise alignment and implantation challenging, especially in diseased hearts.
Innovation Solution
A delivery system featuring an articulating joint with a ball and socket configuration and a restrictive sheath that allows for pivoting and rotation, enabling precise alignment of the prosthetic valve by changing the orientation of the distal sheath relative to the longitudinal axis, and a locking mechanism to maintain stability during insertion and deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a straight transapical valve delivery device is used, then the device structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate patient-specific mismatches between apical and annular axes or interfering tissue structures
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery device incorporates an articulating joint that allows the distal portion to dynamically change its orientation relative to the proximal portion. The joint enables the device to adapt from a straight configuration during insertion to an angled configuration for proper valve alignment, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and anatomical adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery device is divided into multiple segments including a proximal portion, an articulating joint, and a distal portion. This segmentation allows each part to perform specific functions: the proximal portion provides stable insertion, the joint provides adaptive positioning, and the distal portion delivers the valve. The segmentation resolves the contradiction by distributing complexity across functional modules
2Adaptability or versatility
If the articulating joint is always free to pivot, then the device can adapt to various anatomical configurations, but it lacks stability during insertion and valve deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The restraining sheath changes the articulation joint's degree of freedom parameter from free-pivot to locked position. By advancing the restraining sheath over the articulating joint, the system transitions from a flexible state during navigation to a stable state during deployment, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and stability
Solution Approach 2:
The restraining sheath acts as an intermediary element that controls the articulating joint's movement. It mediates between the need for joint flexibility during insertion and the need for stability during valve deployment, allowing the joint to pivot when needed and lock when required
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
A delivery system (100) for delivering a collapsible prosthetic heart valve includes a body (120) extending in a longitudinal direction and a sheath (130) slidable relative to the body. A compartment (155) is defined inside the sheath and is adapted to receive the collapsible prosthetic heart valve in a collapsed condition. The system includes an articulating joint having a first portion operatively connected to the compartment and a second portion operatively connected to the body. The first portion is pivotable relative to the second position so as to pivot the sheath from a first orientation extending in the longitudinal direction to a second orientation extending transverse to the longitudinal direction.