Heart Valve Holder Assembly for Suture Looping Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing prosthetic heart valve implantation methods face issues with suture looping and tangling, which can lead to improper valve operation and damage, particularly during minimally invasive procedures where visibility is obstructed, and current holders do not effectively prevent such entanglement.
Innovation Solution
A valve holder assembly with suture loops and a deployment mechanism that radially inwardly bends commissure posts, incorporating alignment features to prevent over-deployment, and improved suture routing to minimize contact with valve leaflets and reduce removal forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If commissure posts are left in standard position, then valve structure is simple, but suture looping and tangling occur during implantation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring the commissure posts in a bent orientation before implantation. The posts are pre-formed with a curved shape that positions their tips away from the suture path, preventing suture looping and tangling during the implantation process. This pre-positioning eliminates the need for complex real-time adjustments during surgery.
2Reliability
If suture routing is improved to reduce looping, then suture security increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by modifying only the specific regions where sutures interact with the valve structure. Suture guides are provided at localized positions on the valve annulus and commissure posts, creating protected pathways that prevent looping without requiring complex global restructuring of the entire suture routing system.
3Ease of operation
If minimally invasive procedure is used, then patient recovery is improved, but visibility and control during implantation are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by designing the commissure posts to automatically maintain their bent configuration during implantation without requiring continuous external manipulation or visual monitoring. The pre-formed curved structure self-maintains the safe orientation, eliminating the need for complex real-time adjustments that would be difficult to perform under limited visibility in minimally invasive procedures.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A prosthetic heart valve has a plurality of valve leaflets that control directional flow of blood through a heart and a stent structure having a plurality of commissure posts supporting the valve leaflets. The stent structure has a covering over the plurality of commissure posts and has a sewing ring at an inflow end of the stent structure. Each of the plurality of commissure posts has a tip and a suture loop is attached to the covering at a location adjacent to or on the tip of the commissure post. Each suture loop provides a passage for a suture to pass through between the covering and the suture loop.