Twisted Anchor Mitral Valve Annuloplasty Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for mitral valve regurgitation, such as surgical replacement or annuloplasty, are invasive and pose risks for frail patients, necessitating a less invasive method to reshape the mitral valve annulus.
Innovation Solution
A percutaneous mitral valve annuloplasty device with first and second anchors and a support structure, deployable via a catheter, that engages the coronary sinus to reshape the mitral valve annulus, resisting compression and expansion forces to secure anchoring and modify valve geometry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If surgical replacement or annuloplasty is performed to treat mitral valve regurgitation, then valve function is restored, but invasive surgery is required increasing patient risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical surgical system (open chest surgery, sutures, mechanical valves) with a percutaneous catheter-based system. The device is delivered through the coronary sinus via a catheter inserted through a peripheral vessel, eliminating the need for thoracic surgery while achieving the same annuloplasty effect through balloon expansion and anchor deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a catheter as an intermediary delivery mechanism. The annuloplasty device is not placed directly during open surgery but is delivered through the coronary sinus via a catheter, serving as a mediator between the operator and the target tissue. This intermediary approach enables minimally invasive access to the mitral valve annulus.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a percutaneous device is deployed to reshape the mitral valve annulus, then surgical invasiveness is reduced, but the device must resist compression and expansion forces to maintain anchoring
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor is divided into multiple segments or struts that can independently resist compression and expansion forces. The segmented structure allows each element to respond to specific directional forces, providing comprehensive anchoring stability in the coronary sinus while maintaining the percutaneous delivery advantage.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor and support structure are constructed from composite materials with differentiated mechanical properties. The material composition is designed to simultaneously resist compression forces (preventing collapse) and expansion forces (maintaining anchoring tension), enabling the device to withstand the mechanical stresses of percutaneous deployment and long-term function.
3Stability of the object's composition
If anchors are deployed to engage the vessel wall, then the device can be secured in position, but the anchor structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the anchoring function with the support structure. The anchors are integrated into the existing structural framework rather than being separate complex components. This merging approach provides stable positioning while minimizing overall device complexity by combining multiple functions into unified structural elements.
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
Enables minimally invasive correction of mitral valve regurgitation by reshaping the mitral valve annulus, reducing the risk of invasive surgical procedures and improving circulatory efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the first anchor includes a shaping feature adapted to resist the compression of a first part of the first anchor and resist the expansion of a second part of the first anchor in response to a compressive force on the first part
Data Source
AI summary
A tissue shaping device adapted to be disposed in a vessel near a patient's heart to reshape the patient's heart. The device comprises a first anchor and a second anchor adapted to be deployed by a catheter to engage a vessel wall while the first anchor is adapted to resist the compression of a first part of the first anchor and resist the expansion of a second part of the first anchor in response to a compressive force on the first part.