Valve Clamp Flanging Section Mitral Leaflet Injury
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current valve clamps for mitral valve repair often cause leaflet injury due to inadequate fit and repeated friction, leading to surgical complications and incomplete closure, resulting in mitral valve regurgitation.
Innovation Solution
A valve clamp design featuring a fixed base with openably and closeably disposed clamp arms, including a recessed gripping section and flanging sections that form a fitting structure with the leaflet, reducing local force concentration and increasing contact area, along with a drive component and delivery system for precise leaflet alignment and clamping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional valve clamp with simple clamp arms is used, then the device complexity is low, but the contact area with the leaflet is insufficient causing local force concentration and leaflet injury
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp arm incorporates a flanging section with a specific geometric configuration (including angles A, B, and C) that creates a fitting structure with the leaflet. This local structural modification increases the contact area specifically at the leaflet interface, distributing force evenly and preventing local force concentration without significantly complicating the overall clamp arm structure
Solution Approach 2:
The flanging section is designed with curved surfaces that conform to the natural geometry of the leaflet edge. The rounded contours and smooth transitions in the flanging section allow for better adaptation to the leaflet's curved edge, increasing contact area and reducing stress concentration points
2Reliability
If the clamp arms are made to fit tightly against the leaflet to reduce injury, then the contact area increases, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flanging section is defined by specific angular parameters (angle A: 90°-150°, angle B: 20°-60°, angle C: -30°-10°) that can be precisely controlled during manufacturing. By standardizing these geometric parameters, the complex curved geometry can be reliably reproduced using conventional manufacturing processes such as precision machining or injection molding, balancing leaflet protection with manufacturability
3Reliability
If the valve clamp is designed to grip the leaflet firmly to achieve complete closure, then the clamping force increases, but the friction and repeated rubbing cause leaflet injury
Solution Approach 1:
The flanging section's curved geometry allows the clamp arm to grip the leaflet edge in a manner that distributes contact pressure along a broader arc. This curved interface reduces point-contact friction and minimizes repeated rubbing during valve operation, enabling firm gripping without excessive localized friction that would cause leaflet injury
Data Source
AI summary
M Disclosed is a valve clamp for preventing leaflet injury, a valve clamping system, and a method for repairing a valve. The valve clamp for preventing leaflet injury comprises a fixed base and a pair of clamp arms that are openably and closeably disposed on opposite sides of the fixed base, wherein each of the clamp arms has a connection end connected to the fixed base, a free end opposite to the connection end, and a gripping section between the connection end and the free end, the gripping section is at least partially recessed inwardly to form a capture zone, and the capture zone extends toward the free end and then extends toward a direction away from the capture zone of the other clamp arm to form a first flanging section.