Artificial Heart Valve Leaflet Thickness Control via Cryogenic Freezing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for preparing artificial heart valve leaflets from animal tissue membranes face challenges in achieving uniform thickness, maintaining elasticity, and increasing yield, as existing processing techniques often deform the tissue and reduce its elasticity, making it difficult to obtain leaflets with required thicknesses and varying thicknesses at different positions.
Innovation Solution
The method involves freezing the animal tissue membrane using liquid nitrogen before processing, allowing for precise reduction of thickness and shaping to meet specific requirements while preserving the intrinsic elastic fiber layer, using techniques like grinding, cutting, or scraping, and potentially cross-linking treatments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If pressing during cross-linking treatment is used to reduce thickness, then productivity is improved, but the corrugated fibers are straightened and elasticity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The animal tissue membrane is frozen before processing to preset thickness. This preliminary freezing action allows the tissue to be processed in a rigid state, enabling precise thickness control without deforming the elastic fiber layer, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and elasticity preservation
2Manufacturing precision
If laser removal, scraping, grinding or other methods are used on crosslinked or semi-crosslinked tissue, then thickness uniformity is improved, but the soft tissue becomes deformed and corrugated
Solution Approach 1:
Freezing the animal tissue membrane before processing transforms the soft tissue into a rigid state, allowing subsequent grinding, scraping, or cutting operations to achieve precise thickness uniformity without causing deformation or corrugation of the tissue structure
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional processing methods are used on soft tissue, then processing can be performed, but the tissue is hard to manipulate and residual debris is difficult to remove
Solution Approach 1:
Changing the temperature parameter by freezing the animal tissue membrane transforms it from a soft, difficult-to-manipulate state to a rigid, easily processable state. This parameter change enables precise processing and makes it easier to remove residual debris, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and harmful residual factors
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
This approach enables the production of artificial heart valve leaflets with accurate thickness and improved yield, reducing material costs and maintaining the tissue's elasticity for effective bend and stretch during heart function, thereby enhancing the durability and functionality of the valve.
Implementation Method 1
freezing an animal tissue membrane, and processing the frozen animal tissue membrane to a preset thickness, where liquid nitrogen is used to freeze the animal tissue membrane
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides a method for preparing an artificial heart valve leaflet, comprising freezing an animal tissue membrane and processing the frozen animal tissue membrane so as to reach a preset thickness. The method, by processing the frozen animal tissue membrane, can conveniently obtain an artificial heart valve leaflet with a required thickness and increase the yield of the animal tissue membrane valve leaflet.