Tricuspid Prosthetic Valve Leaflet Fixation Without Annular Trauma
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current prosthetic valves for the tricuspid valve often cause heart block and conduction abnormalities due to rigid fixation on the native annulus, which is not suitable for the tricuspid valve's proximity to conductive regions of the heart.
Innovation Solution
A prosthetic heart valve with asymmetrical support structures and leaflet elements that biodynamically fix to native leaflets, allowing axial stabilization within the native tricuspid valve without direct attachment to the annulus or chords, maintaining natural motion and enabling transcatheter implantation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If rigid fixation is used to secure the prosthetic valve to the native annulus, then the prosthetic valve is firmly anchored, but heart block and conduction abnormalities occur due to proximity to conductive regions
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the fixation function from the annulus and relocates it to the native leaflets. The support structure includes arms that engage with the native leaflets rather than the annulus, removing the harmful contact with conductive regions while maintaining secure anchoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The native leaflets serve as an intermediary structure between the prosthetic valve and the heart wall. By engaging the leaflets as intermediaries, the fixation is achieved without direct contact between the rigid support structure and the conductive regions of the heart wall.
2Reliability
If repurposed aortic and mitral valves are used for tricuspid valve repair, then prosthetic valve functionality is achieved, but the valve becomes immobile due to rigid fixation on the annulus
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transforms the fixation system from static/rigid to dynamic/movable. The support structure arms are designed to move with the native leaflets during cardiac cycles, allowing the prosthetic valve to maintain functionality while adapting to natural heart motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure includes asymmetric arm configurations that engage different native leaflets with different engagement characteristics, allowing selective movement and adaptation to the specific anatomy and motion patterns of the tricuspid valve.
3Stability of the object's composition
If direct attachment to the annulus is made, then secure fixation is achieved, but trauma to the heart and conduction abnormalities increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the attachment point from the annulus and relocates it to the native leaflets. This removes the source of trauma to the annulus and surrounding conductive regions while maintaining secure fixation through engagement with the leaflet tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure arms are designed with specific local characteristics for engaging native leaflets, distributing forces appropriately across the leaflet tissue to minimize trauma while achieving secure fixation. The engagement is localized to specific regions of the leaflets rather than diffuse attachment to the annulus.
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are prosthetic heart valves and methods for improving the functionality of native heart valves. An exemplary prosthetic heart valve may include one or more support structures, in which at least one support structure defines an elongate central passageway having a longitudinal. The prosthetic heart valve may include a plurality of leaflet elements attached to the at least one support structure and disposed within the elongate central passageway for control of blood flow through the elongate central passageway. The at least one support structure may be configured to biodynamically fix the prosthetic heart valve to native leaflets of a native heart valve of a heart.