Vascular Closure Locking Assembly Tension Release

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current vascular closure devices face challenges in efficiently sealing vascular punctures with existing locking mechanisms, which often require high forces and lack efficient deployment mechanisms for toggle orientation and tension application.

Innovation Solution

A vascular closure device with a deployment assembly that includes a tamper and a locking assembly, where the tamper is slidable along a suture and inhibited from advancing until a threshold tension is applied, allowing for efficient sealing and deployment of the toggle against the vessel wall, and a locking mechanism that transitions from locked to unlocked configurations based on tension levels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a locking mechanism is used to secure the tamper, then the sealing reliability is improved, but the force required for deployment increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing reliabilityVSAvoidforce required for deployment
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The locking assembly transitions from a locked configuration to an unlocked configuration in response to tension applied to the suture, making the locking mechanism dynamic rather than static. This allows the tamper to be securely held during delivery and then released when appropriate tension is applied, reducing the force needed for deployment while maintaining sealing reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The locking mechanism responds to changes in tension parameters on the suture. When threshold tension is applied, the locking assembly changes its state from locked to unlocked, allowing the tamper to advance. This parameter-based control enables reliable sealing while reducing deployment force requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If the tamper is restrained until threshold tension is applied, then the toggle orientation control is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetoggle orientation controlVSAvoiddeployment assembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The locking assembly is pre-configured to restrain the tamper in a held position before tension is applied. This preliminary restraint ensures proper toggle orientation is maintained during delivery and only releases when the correct tension condition is met, improving orientation control without requiring complex active control systems

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The deployment assembly uses the tension applied during normal sealing operation to automatically trigger the unlocking of the tamper. The system serves itself by using the necessary therapeutic tension to also activate the deployment mechanism, improving orientation control while minimizing additional complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3881771B1Vascular closure device with locking assembly for a tamper
Publication Date: 2025.01.01 TELEFLEX LIFE SCIENCES LLC
  • EP3881771B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3881771B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3881771B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A vascular closure device includes a deployment assembly, a sealing unit carried by the deployment assembly, and a tamper carried by the deployment assembly and that is disposed along a suture with respect to the sealing unit. The vascular closure device includes a locking assembly coupled to the tamper so as to selectively inhibit advancement of the tamper along the suture in the distal direction toward the sealing unit. The locking assembly is adapted to transition from A) a locked configuration where the tamper is inhibited from sliding along the suture, into B) an unlocked configuration where the tamper is slidable along the suture in the distal direction and into contact with the sealing unit.